Trust me on the sunscreen.

So Saturday I got my first taste of a Korean beach with Jackie, Betsy, Adam and Elisa, Jason and Houston. The weather was perfect and the beach, practically deserted. Having summer in the middle of the year is a great idea!

We had some good tofu-and-clam soup and swam in the pleasantly cool water. Afterwards, it was time to explore the rock pools and marvel at how the ocean had cut almost perfect steps into the surrounding rocks. I looked out over the wave-less, calm sea and wondered about sharks. I looked at the seaweed and hoped it wasn't the same kind we ate so regularly.

Of course, my local beach in Buffalo City (Nahoon beach) isn't covered in mist from the evaporating swamps! Or Koreans carrying each other into the water without anyone protesting. Or ajumas under umbrellas. Or women in high heels and wet jeans. Or nifty beach mats with incorrect English, asking "Do you want to plat with me?" We soaked up enough sun to prevent SAD until winter. And none of us got horribly burnt.

But it was a good day. We lay like corpses in the back of the bus during the three hour ride home. I had to hold myself back from asking "Are we there yet?" at each stop.

So, I'm happy that I'm slowly starting to explore different places in Korea (especially the beautiful and uncrowded). But I'm also happy that I'm meeting and making friends with some interesting, intelligent and open-minded North Americans. Life is full of happy surprises. Clearly they export their best.

Sunday I became a member of K.N.U International English Church. I had to earn this by a rather traumatic process of shaking hands with everyone in church. I still think that women should never shake hands unless they are wearing pinstripes in the corporate world. Now that I've finished my lifetime hand-shaking quota on Sunday, we will have to find some other way of greeting. (Remember, you need three hugs a day to survive, and eight to thrive). As a member of the church, I am hoping to make friends and influence people... at least as far as their opinions on dancing are concerned.