Thailand and Vietnam

Finally getting around to posting some pics from Thailand and Vietnam. In short, the trip was awesome. Places we visited: Bankok, Chiang Mai, Pai. Then we went to Vietnam. We stayed in Hanoi and spent 3 nights. Visiting Ha Long Bay was the best part of the Vietnam experience.

After that, we flew back to Thailand and landed in Phuket. What a great/beautiful beach area. Snorkeling, visits to Islands, Kayaking, etc were some of the activities we did while there. It was all amazing.

First plate of thai food in Chiang Mai

Monks at a shrine in Chiang Mai

More monks at the shrine

Again, more monks--but at another shrine/temple in Chiang Mai

Vietnamese lady in Hanoi

Fruit boat in Ha Long Bay

Swimming it up in Ha Long Bay

Sunset in Phuket, Thailand from our Hotel

My buddy on the beach at Phi Phi Island

6 months

So, I've almost been in Korea a full six months. It's time for a vacation. I need it. It's been weird not having crazy adventures every weekend like in Europe...so I'm just going to have to make up for it in the next two weeks. Here's my schedule---sort of:

Tuesday the 29th...leave Seoul for Hanoi, Vietnam....
Tour around Vietnam for a couple of days...see some sights...take cool pics...

Leave Hanoi for Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Have lunch at the FCC "foreign correspondent's club" and pretend I'm famous. Visit Angkor Wat...explore temples....have jungle adventures. Come out of it all alive....a couple of days later.

Leave Cambodia for Thailand. Land in Phuket Island...and go direct to the JW Marriot and check in to our 2 story apartment on private beach. There will be 4 of us total now...split 4 ways the cost isn't too bad...but don't I deserve luxury? Yes.
One week in Thailand....sea kayaking....trekking...snorkeling....diving....everything.

I'm gonna take some awesome pics...so be ready.

I made it

I am finally done with my instructor upgrade in the F-16...I finished last week...and what a relief! It took almost 6 months....with weather delays and repeat flights. It's a great feeling to be done and I can't wait to start instructing other F-16 pilots.

I just got a new Digital SLR camera and am totally excited about it. I love photography--and this will help me take even better pics. I plan on taking it to Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand in 2 weeks....and I'll be sure to post pics of this epic trip.

Last weekend we got a chance to go to a soccer game in Jeonju. It was pretty cool. What was better? Going out to dinner at "Outback Steakhouse." Yes, they actually have a few of those in Korea.

day out of "prison"

park entrance

monument in the park

seaweed anyone?


Work has been busy to say the least. I know I haven't posted in a while...but that's life.

A few of us had a day out on in Kunsan City the today and visited Wolmyeong Park...which was actually pretty cool. Who knew Kunsan city actually had such a nice park?

Jeounju Day Trip

I was starting to feel like I was in prison. Maybe it's a function of living in Europe for the last 3 years....just taking off on the weekends in search of cool sights. Anyway, the back and forth to work and the pain of the Instructor Upgrade was making me go crazy. I had to do something more than hang out with the guys in the dorms this weekend. I decided to go to a city nearby that's called Jeounju. Recruiting some guys to go wasn't a problem...so we loaded in the Xterra and hit the road. It's only about 35 minutes from Kunsan on the "interstate."

Korea has such an interesting and vibrant culture. Jeounju is a good example of this. As you reach the outskirts of the city you see the massive apartment complexes that go for miles. We passed through all this and hit the inner "old city." They have done a great job promoting their historical legacy with famous dynasties, etc. Some of the old walls are preserved and they have an very large "heritage" complex of Korean culture. They have a Korean "cultural experience" tour that allows you to see what a typical house and compound of a Korean family would look like in the ancient days. I really don't have time to go into it all now...because I'm running late to do some work stuff...but maybe these pictures can do some justice....

Korean Wedding at the Catholic Church in the center of Town

Wedding Attendees (I love those outfits called "Hanboks" that the girls wear...)

Pomegranate Tea at a traditional tea house

Entrance to the Royal Grounds

Men playing what looks like Chinese Chess

Drumming Troupe preparing for the next day's Lunar Festival

....holiday

The Lunar New Year has arrived. I really didn't know much about the holiday...(probably because we don't celebrate it)....but I thought it would be worth while to learn a bit about it. Above is a picture of what some Korean kids may dress up like when they go to visit families on this special day. They warned us: "The roads will be packed...don't drive." They were correct. I drove to Osan (another Air Force base) this weekend and the lanes heading out of Seoul were an absolute standstill...it looked like a parking lot.
Everybody jumps in their family cars and drives (much like our Thanksgiving or Christmas day). This holiday benefited us as well (we got a 3 day weekend out of it.) I got a chance to go to Osan and do some much needed chilling out as well....I even had enough time to do a quick re-read of some C.S. Lewis books...

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the holiday:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The lunar new year is the first new moon of the first lunar month in the year. It is celebrated by many different cultures around the world. The Lunar New Year is followed by the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is normally in February. The Lunar New Year signifies the start of a new lunar year.
The lunar calendar is very ancient, dating back nearly 4700 years, and is used in many Asian countries, including Mainland China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, etc. Consequently, the Lunar New Year is also celebrated simultaneously in many of the Asian countries; due to their historic and diplomatic ties with the ancient Chinese empire, there are many similarities in the way that the Lunar New Year is celebrated in their respective countries.

Weekends are not long enough

It's been busy here. Work work work. I just started the Instructor Pilot Upgrade a few weeks ago, so I'm back in the books and back to getting evaluated again.

Last weekend I picked up my SUV in Seoul....It's surprising that I've had that car with me since pilot training...and now it's been all over the world: Texas, Arizona, Italy, and now Korea. Most of the guys here don't ship their car to Korea. Instead they opt to buy "beaters." Cars that are absolutely falling apart are common here...and it's always an adventure to drive or ride in them. Most guys just give away their car when they leave (usually just happy to get rid of it.)

I spent a night last weekend hanging out in Seoul. It is such a cool city. I ate dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant that had a music and dance performance all done in the traditional garb. Very cool.

This weekend was spent recovering from a somewhat busy week. This morning we all went to the orphanage again and played with the kids. Once again, we got an awesome performance of singing and drumming. They also know several Christian songs in English that were quite good. The sun was out today finally...which is nice because there's usually overcast/cloudy conditions here in the winter.

Next weekend is the Korean holiday of the Lunar New Year. This is a BIG event for them. They usually go out in massive waves to visit their families and birthplaces. I also hear that South Koreans and North Koreans travel near the DMZ if they have relatives "on the other side."

Orphanage Visit

Our squadron takes time out every weekend to go visit a local orphanage in Kunsan City. Usually, about 5-6 guys head over there for a few hours to play with the kids and try to help out with stuff there.

It was my first visit today--and what an experience it was. The kids were great. I'm surprised at how respectful and mannerly the Korean kids are. It really is different than the U.S.

The orphanage is set up sort of like a compound. There are "dorm" type buildings that circle a playground. Also, there's a big music room upstairs in the main building. Apparently, playing the drums is an important part of Korean culture. Today, the kids put on a show for us...and they were awesome! Not sure what the drums they play are called...but they sounded great. Following that, we had a game of soccer: USA vs Korea. They were good....enough said.

Dinner at "Mama's"

"Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum....."

That's what "mama" quotes repeatedly as she's serving you her famous Korean dish "Bulgogi." You can get Bulgogi anywhere (chicken, pork, beef, etc), but nothing quite has the atmosphere as the little dive restaurant in nearby "A-Town" as the restaurant "Mama's." Actually, I think it's called something like "Popeye's" or something..but we don't know for sure.

She really can't speak English--besides "Yum" and "young man" I think. We took a little trip down there the other night for the sodium and garlic drenched feast. Looks kind of gross in the picture...but it's pretty good. She cooks it all in front of you just like you were in her family kitchen.

You brush your teeth about 10 times when you get home to rid yourself of the garlic taste, but it doesn't work. I guess the Koreans think that WE smell weird?? Wow.

korean winter

The snow here in Korea can be ridiculous. We live right next to the Yellow Sea...and it blows the rain and snow in like horizontal sheets. It is painful...but cool to watch too.

I'm now "fully settled in" here. I've got my dorm room with the pilots and finally got around to unpacking as well.

The squadron is cool. It's sort of like going back to college. We also have a "hooch" that we do social stuff in on the weekend. There's a band as well called: "Steal Wool" that is made up of a bunch of the pilots. I picked up a guitar job...so I'm happy.

My life just got insanely more busy. I started the IPUG (instructor pilot upgrade) and will be doing that for the next few months. Basically, it will teach me how to train others to fly and fight in the F-16. This all means that I have to study alot more and create newer/better briefing guides for instruction.

I went skiing over Christmas weekend in Yongpyong. It was an experience. Crowded slopes and decent snow...but overall not too bad.

I had to post a photo I took of a little tasty treat the Koreans apparently like! Are you serious?