I’ve changed my mind…

After considering the list of 100 places I posted last time, I’ve changed my mind. I’ve decided to save myself hours of jetlag and tons of money by making my own list. Of places I’ve already been, and would like to see again, and would strongly encourage others to visit if they have the chance. And so… in no particular order:

1 – The Great Wall of China. (China) Sure it’s just old bricks, but by golly there are alot of them.

2 – Harbin Ice Festival. (China) It’s cold, and dark, and cold some more, but it’s a stunning combination of breathtaking beauty and bizarre tackiness.

3 – Hershey Chocolate Factory. (Canada) ‘nough said.

4 – Blue Lagoon (Iceland). Gorgeous, blue warm water 12 months a year. It’s a huge natural spa surrounded by black volcanic rock. Very cool.

5 – Daechun Beach Mud Festival (Korea). Lots and lots of soft silky mud to play in. Everyone is covered from head to foot in smooth mud.

6 – Bay of Fundy (Canada). Same muddy reasons as above, but also some gorgeous hiking trails.

7 – Museum of London. (England) Hours and Hours of museum fun. It traces the history of London from pre-Roman days to the present. It’s fabulous.

8 – JeunJu Paper Museum. (Korea) Yes, it sounds like an absolute nightmare of a way to spend an afternoon. But there are many hidden amusements within. I’ve never laughed so hard, or for so long in a museum before.

9 – Q’Appelle Valley. (Canada)They look like mountains that got shaved. The top is all flat, like the Prairies should be…then poof, you’re driving in a valley.

10 – Inside my Tent. (Anywhere). It could be pitched in my back yard, and it would still feel like an adventure.

Okay – so there are 10 of my favourite places. I also have a list of 4 places I would like to go. Dorking (England), Ko PiPi (Thailand), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Disco Island (Greenland). Why? For the pure and simple reason that the names amuse me.

One more list…

As some of you know, this year I’m reading my way through the BBC’s list of most loved English books. Not all of them are great, but at least it gets me reading things I usually wouldn’t choose.

Now, thanks to Ben’s Blog, I’ve decided to start working my way through the top 100 wonders of the world. Hopefully by the time I retire, I’ll have seen at least one on each continent.

I’ve been to

#2 – the Great Wall of China (9 thumbs up)

#16 – the Forbidden City (8 thumbs up)

#73 – New York Skyline (I couldn’t see my thumbs. It was dark)

#88 – Statue of Liberty (I was far away, so it was the size of 1 thumb)

#94 – British Museum. (5 thumbs up.)

Let me know where you’ve been! And assume you have 10 thumbs to rate ’em with.

And the beat goes on…

Next week is Festival Week here at DaeguDae. Already there are tents, stages, lights and mammoth speakers being erected around campus. It should be a fun week. My students are already excited about it, and have been inviting me to come visit their tents (each faculty has a beer tent, with snacks, games and, well, … beer).

We’re expected to teach next week…even though the music is so loud we’ll hardly be able to hear ourselves talk, only 4 or 5 of the keenest students will actually come to class, and even they will be hung-over. So, I’ve told my students that I’ll be there, but I won’t be taking attendance. To my students, this translates as “Oh, I don’t have to go to class.”

On Saturday, 2 of our teachers will be close to their birthdays, so all the teachers are getting together to play volleyball and/or frisbee in the afternoon, and rounding off the evening with a big BBQ bash. There are big brick BBQ’s in a little park near our apartments, and everyone is always up for a good reason to slap some meat on the coals.

All this makes me realize that I’ve been here for 3 months (nearly a whole semester), and I still don’t feel as though I’ve been working. I feel as though I’ve been on holidays ever since the weather turned nice. Ahhhhhh….. Life is Good.