Spring. The Transition Phase.

Springs warm sun shines light on places I completely didn't see in the winter months. It brings bright colours to flowers along park edges, and a warming familiar scent. Parks, that in all honesty I can say I had no idea about until the sun came out. Places I pass everyday! But now the grass has de-frosted after the ice age and is no longer dead, yellow matter. It's green, inviting, relaxing, a place to spend weekend hours. The cherry blossom reminds me of the romantic orient I have pictured in my mind. What a difference all this brings to my everyday life here.

The warm weather brings people outside to sell their wares. On streets everywhere people are setting up markets of fruit, clothes, shoes, grains, plants, tapemeasures and other random pieces. Out of hibernation, patients venture out of their hospitals and can be spotted in their pajamas and occasionally dragging their drip with them!

This transition phase between freezing and rather warm, seems fairly short lived though. How pleased I was to be able to turn my heating off, save some extra pennies, and the environment. My excitement didn't last very long unfortunately. Before two weeks had passed mosquitos were making their way into my room to bite and suck my blood as I tried to sleep, keeping me awake till 3AM, buzzing round my head, leaving me with lumps on my forehead and darker circles under my eyes. There was only one thing for it. Keeping my window shut and turning on the air-conditioning! Not much of a saving on the utility bill after all.

The East Coast.

A long drive and a short stay, but worth it to see Naksansa. This is the largest stone staue of Buddha in the Orient. Located on a cliff between the East Sea and the mountains, this place has an amazing atmosphere. Maybe also because it was Buddhas birthday when four friends and I visited. The sad news is that Naksan temple was 1300 years old when it was burnt down with the forest fire April 2005. Whilst there I wrote the names of my family on a card, along with a prayer and attached it to one of the lanterns. There, blowing in the wind, Buddists believe my prayer will be whisped up and my family and I will be protected. So I left my prayer there, and I took my memories of Naksansa with me, in the rain, back to Incheon.

On The Road!

I've shared with my friends the confusions and difficulties I have with driving on the roads here. Not only am I driving on the right hand side of the road for the first time, but I'm sharing the road with a nation of drivers that the British government warn about on the 'Foreign and Commonwealth' travel information website. The opening line being, "The ROK has one of the highest rates of traffic death in the world"! (but they do warn about every country in the world in some respect) and if that wasn't bad enough, I actually share the pavement with them too, "You should watch out for motorcycles traveling at speed on pavements." Quoted from the same website.

My confusions rise because here, we can turn right on a red light, but can't turn left on a green light! This is new to me. It appears that nobody else's indicators work, but their hazards lights are fine and used frequently, especially when cutting me off, driving at ridiculous speeds, going through redlights or just weaving in and out of the traffic. It's almost like it's a way to apologize for really bad driving. Just stick the hazards on and everything will be fine!!!! Motorcyclists ride like it's a computer game, and nobody lets emergency service transport past them, even with their sirens blaring. My difficulties are keeping my cool on the road with this to contend with. My friend Dawn drives "with one hand on the horn and one hand giving the finger!" It's testing times.