Thousands of Words

Lo these many months ago, I said rash things. Vast overstatements of the intimacy of my relationship with phones and cameras and the internet. Promises were made, only to be dashed on the rocks of my photographic ineptitude.
Today, however, is a day of great rejoicing, for I have slain the Blue-toothed dragon and retrieved photographic evidence that I am not actually making this all up from a basement apartment I secretly live in. I couldn't really figure out where these shots should go into previous entries, so I'm just going to dump a bunch of them with little explanations of what they are. From now on, I will try to be more orderly.

This particular photo dump will be from vacation with Mom in Busan:

This is a night view of the beach we stayed on, Haeundae (해운대). We had great timing which landed us in the midst of our vacation just during monsoon season, so we did not compete with anyone for this space, which is the most popular beach in a popular beach town. Admittedly, for beaching in high beach fashion, we might have chosen a different time, but it was lovely and uncrowded.

This is the stream/waterfall you cross to get to Beomeosa (버머사), a temple in Busan to which we went. It's pretty high up on a mountain, which you climb in a rickety bus on a very narrow road, so you are glad to get to the top and have a place specially designed for the finding of peace! One thing I'm particularly sorry I couldn't seem to get a shot of is the population of magpies. They have an ignominious reputation and name, but they are very pretty birds, and they were flitting all through here, far too fast for my phone camera to capture or do justice to them.

This is the view from the top of Beomeosa, looking at surrounding mountains of about the same height. The roofs (of which I got more pictures, but with which I shall not bore you) were straight out of the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and I kept looking across them, hoping to spot a gravity-defying ninja type monk. I didn't see any (but that just means they're doing it right).

This is a frog doorstop at the temple. It is hard to see, but it looks very happy and expectant, just as you'd want someone to look who's holding a door for you. Sadly, the door in question has a painting of a ferocious, sword-wielding demon on it, so it's a bit of a mixed message, but I don't consider that the frog's fault.

I am Old and Wise Now

I turned 23! On August 10th! It was a weekday, so not a day of great adventure, but I have never received quite so much free food in my life. Every time I turned around, someone fed me something. From G, I received all his stamp cards for local businesses, effectively giving me free coffee and cupcakes for a week. O the loot!

One of my students, as per my policy for those who do not have their homework, drew me a picture, of myself, which may be my favorite student picture to date... I took a photo of it for you, internet. I don't know how to make it zoom, but if you do, you will see a little speech bubble next to my head that says, "My name is Rebecca Lovering Johnson. Today is my birthday. Also, I talk to myself very often in class." (not false) and the writing down at the bottom left says, "Happy birthday!! and!!! you don't look this fat."

What more can you ask for on a birthday?

The stream of loot continued as boxes came from the Mother- and Fatherland. I am infinitely better attired and accessoried now and look as classy as can be. May all of you with birthdays have been likewise pleased by them and their attendant riches.

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

O Internet, like unto the story's eponymous character to which my title refers, I have been living a life of exorbitance in the months I have been away from you. I have indulged in such excesses as farewell parties, concerts, a surprise visit and even a birthday. I have seen myself become the senior foreign teacher in my office (a terrifying circumstance for all concerned, like unto the moment in the movie when the two heroes look at each other and realize, sickeningly, that no one is driving the boat/train/tank). I have become beholden to a terrible addiction and battled it with relative success (no, not colored pens, a much deeper, darker well of dependence - a Korean drama). There've also been some weird social/personal events.

All in all, it has kept me busy, but that is no excuse for the abandonment you have suffered, dear readers. Mostly my mother.

I promise to overwhelm you with updates, (up to and including photos I have finally rescued from their phone purgatory with my superfluous cunning and guile, and not a few indulgences bought from the priests of the phone photo gods) and in the few remaining months of my Korean sojourn, to make a more concerted effort to write faithfully.