Rain vs Colbert

beautiful temples

the pictures explain everything. buddhism rocks but I still love the TAO

Seoung Jong - falling for

So this is the first boy that I have really liked in a LONG TIME. we have been dating for about a month now. I like him so much. Its hard to explain, but ya know, ya just just get a feeling when your around somebody. He is very loving, cooks amazingly well and just treats so perfectly. I just finished spending almost two days with him ( the longest so far ) and I am just so happy cuddling with him. Definitely a god send considering how tough korea can be for foreigners. I no longer have any excuses for not picking up some korean. Anyways I wanted to share the news and let you know that picky old shawn might actually fall for a guy again if all goes well.

big hugs! ( I know I am at the puppy love stage, but I still like it ! )

Taejongdae Cliffs and Nami Island

So since China, I have decided to get my butt out more around Korea. With six months lefts, there are still so many places I wanna check out! I am super lucky and have weekends off again this school term. Most koreans work six day weeks and normally work around 10 hour days. This weekend I went prolly one of the most beautiful natural spots in Busan and took these pictures. Japanese islands are only 53 km away from this point in Korea and therefore was a strategic military defence post. You can see some of the old gun holders and bunkers. It was a super windy day........so the waves were quite high. I have fallen in love with the ocean, can't wait to try scuba diving in the summer.

I went on a day trip with my friend Sunny to a traditional korean garden, the garden of morning calm, it was nestled in a valley, just beautiful even in the winter. Than we went to this strange island ( not strange for koreans evidently ) where a famous korean television drama was filmed, winter sonata is the english name. Anyhow I guess it brings tons of asian tourists and u area supposed to sit on a pic nic table and kiss your lover like they do on the show perhaps? My personal opinion is that Koreans don't like to just leave nature alone and always tinker with it, but I did have my first lunch box ( which is what koreans kids eat at school ) its a small metal box that is heated up on a gas stove, than they give u classy orange gloves and you shake the box all around. Inside the box, there is rice, kimchi, red paste and an egg, maybe some onions.......it was quite tasty :P Anyways I was so happy to spend time with Sunny.........she is an amazing friend and I got to see more of Korea. Our next trip will be to Sarak Mountain, the most beautiful mountain in korea hehehhehe.

LOVE YOU ALL
shawnie ( as the koreans call me, they like to add "e" to the end of words for some reasaon)

BEIJING

My first asian vacation!! The communists were not THAT scary, ok maybe a little. It helps when u stay at a 4 star hotel and have a personal tour guide though LOL.

In honestly, this was a vacation of a lifetime. Minus the air pollution and firecracker ( for their new year they are allowed to set off firecrackers ( small and massive ) on basically any street corner or in the middle of the street if it suits their fancy. So dangerous but kinda neat at the same time.

We visited all the major attractions, tinnamen square ( my personal favourite ) summer palace, temple of heaven, the great wall and the forbidden city. We were super busy. At nite we managed to bump into some boys from france and I coaxed them into taking us clubbing, they took us to Club Banana, by far the kewlest club I have been to so far in my life, they had a moving dance floor! China still being a developing country, had lots of poverty and slums that were blocked from seeing by large propaganda billboards. I never made it to a gay bar but thats ok, preferred being with friends at this other club.
I loved the nite shows, but you kinda had to be there to really take them in. They were quite remarkable, actually looked tortuous actually LOL. We went to an acrobat show the one nite and a kungfu show the next...........just incredible really. I threw in a pic of our tour guide, Charlie, he was quite entertaining, knew how to get us to laugh :P I talked a bit of chinese politics with him, but of course, he seemed a timid about doing that ( we are pretty sure at various spots, chinese security was watching us. He did say something kewl...........he said he looked forward to china becoming more open to the world but not to the words ( freedom, or democracy ) which rocks...........think about it..........china is one of the very few countries who have not sold their souls to the USA.
I noticed the people are a bit rougher and real than their korean counterparts. It was impossible to get my photo with any of the soldiers which was what I was really hoping for. I got some good shopping in the food provided was pretty tasty, especially the holiday inn breakfast.........its been so long since I have had real bacon!!!! YUMMY!! Here is a selection of photos.........I hope u like. HUGS, love everyone!!

Sunrise in Haeundae

Some beautiful pics I wanted to share with everyone. Sorry i have been offline, been working likfe a slave. Booked a package tour to Beijing for the chinese new year!! So Excited, leave on the 17th.

These are my girls.....macdonalds just started serving breakfast in Korea, exciting times!!!

:P

LOVE YOU ALL

HAPPY NEW YEAR

some kewl shots.......off the balcony of the 51st floor penthouse............it was quite amazing.