My feet feel like two little kings

Tonight was one of the most interesting, and fun, nights of my life. I got into Busan around 4:30, clearing customs with flying colors and luckily picking up my suitcase from the baggage claim. As I walked into the part of the airport where people wait to pick you up, I was immediately approached by a young korean woman, asking if I was "Mr. Andrew Wayne Hill?" Of course I am! I exchanged all my american money and we hurried out to a cab that was waiting for us. The cab rumbled along through the predictably chaotic Busan traffic. We attempted light conversation
but her english was bad, and I was honestly so excited and beside myself that I had a hard time talking about my favorite food and what kansas is like. We went right to the school I will be teaching at, and they told me that I would be sitting in on three classes, until about 8:30. OK! I was totally jetlagged and still dearly missing sleep but I didn't care. My escort from the recruiting agency took my backpack and suitcase to my new place, giving me the door codes and promising me that someone from the school would take me there. The school is real swanky, all new
and simple and clean. The classes seem manageable. The kids are all pretty sharp and very animated and better at english than I thought they would be. After the classes were over I went with a new coworker to the apartment building that we both live at. Turns out, my building is ALL foreigners, mostly english speaking, and supposedly the environment is more like a college dorm than an apartment building. I got up to my room, and unpacked my things and put sheets on the bed, washing my face and doing some after-flight hatha yoga. I met Nick back downstairs in his room, as we were
going out to meet two of our other coworkers for kim-chi and soju (this disgusting but manageable korean beverage which is like watered down vodka and jet fuel). We walked through the streets and I really couldn't believe my eyes. I mean...I've been to New York, and Los Angeles, but this place is UNREAL. Neon lights line every street, and even the alleyways, barely big enough to fit a car through, are crammed with bars, restaurants, convenience stores, you name it, all stacked on top of one another. Besides the ass and foul fish smell permeating every turn, its really quite a beautiful street. Cars run red lights all over the place, old men zoom by on mopeds, people are everywhere, and there is food and beverage to be found everywhere you can glance. I bought a fried prawn on the way to meet them, just for the hell of it. Delicious. We met the other kids at this place, where they had a grill on the
table, and they brought out all this food, TONS of pork and kim-chi and tofu and assorted veggies. All very delicious.

After dinner, we went to this bar which is like a "health center." the kids i was with mentioned it at dinner. you go there and put your feet in water full of fish which...SUCK THE DEAD SKIN OFF OF YOUR FEET. no kidding! i insisted that we go. so we walked over. inside, there is this large wooden platform that takes up half of the room. lining it is this canal with water running through, full of all these little sucker fish, like the kind that look like tiny sharks that suck the algae off the inside of your tank. we ordered beer and soju and took our shoes and socks off, rolling our pantlegs off. after rinsing our feet off in these sinks on the platform,
we sat down, lowering our feet into the water. words fail to explain the sensation of dozens of little minnow-like fish nibbling all over your feet, inbetween your toes, your ankles, all over. for the first couple of minutes, i thought i was going to soil myself it was so...bizarre. my friend told me "you'll probably bleed. i usually do." i didn't start bleeding, but i got out after about ten minutes. i felt sorry for the fish...i was really surprised when they weren't all floating at the top of the water.

i washed my feet again in a tub of water full of essential oils. they have never felt so cared for, so clean, so blessed. after a year of hardley ever even taking my shoes off, this was a much needed event. i have to say that i will be going back there soon, and will make a habit of it.

afterwards, we finished our drinks and ambled along our way towards the apartment building, passing a karoake bar on the way. we went in, and i pulverized everyone in there with a near perfect performance of "Never Gonna Give You Up" by rick astley. I didn't even need to look at the screen for the lyrics...to the chagrin of those who
came in with me. when we all finished singing bad 80's songs and embarassing ourselves, we went home.

Last night, I got the best sleep I have had in the last six months. I woke up this morning, having finally killed the jetlag and weeks of restlessness, and went out for a cup of coffee. I sit here now, catching up on the world and waking up. I love it here. This city is beautiful. The country is beautiful. My job seems awesome.

Months of darkness have passed and the clouds seem to be dissipating, letting in some much needed light.

Talk to you all soon!

Happy trails!