Japan, Round 2, Part 2

Finally, we were on the last leg of our epic adventure. Though it had been a great trip so far with Mom and Dad, I decided to spend sometime with friends in Japan. My Westcoast Connection co-worker and friend Kelly is currently living and studying in Tokyo and I really wanted to meet up with her, so I suggested that Mom and Dad to take an overnight trip to Nikko on Saturday. Nikko is a charming, historic town just ninety minutes from Tokyo by train, but worlds away from the big, bustling city feel, and I knew they would really enjoy it.

I felt a little bit like a parent taking my child to the first day of kindergarten. I had held their hands through Asia up to this point, but now it was time for them to go off and explore the world on their own. I knew they could do it. I had trained them well and they were going to do a great job traveling on their own. We arrived at the train station on Saturday morning and after one more little pep talk, I waved goodbye and assured them I would be there to pick them up after school...errr after the trip. "Will you just walk with us to the track to make sure we get on the right train?" Mom asked. "No," I chuckled, "I know you can do it on your own."

After leaving my parents to fend for themselves, I headed back to Shinjuku to meet up with Kel. I got to her apartment building by 11 am and was happy not just to see her but also to meet some friends that would be coming along for the day. Our first stop was lunch at Harajuku, where we had a good western meal. Though I could have gone for more Japanese food, I was thrilled to eat a simply delicious grilled chicken caesar salad. That was not something I ever thought I'd have in Asia. After lunch, we decided to check out a reggae festival in Yoyogi Park. Again, not something that I would have expected to find in Tokyo, but I knew that this city was full of great surprises and couldn't wait to see what it was all about. The reggae fest was so sweet. It was crazy to see so many hippies and rasta-clad Japanese people and we bet that the entire hippy population of the whole country was probably at the festival. Though we didn't exactly fit in by our looks, we got into the spirit and had a great afternoon dancing to live music and checking out all of the interesting people. In fact, people watching is one of my favorite activities to do when traveling; just sitting around, watching all of the unique, culturally different people in any given place. That night, I got a real taste of Tokyo nightlife. We started at a fancy rooftop Thai restaurant in Roppongi, the hung out at a cool hookah, hip-hop bar, and finally ended up at a posh club called Ferria where we danced the night away. Oh yea, and did I mention got invited to the VIP table of some young Japanese business men? It was a fun experience, and they were absolute gentlemen. It was a great time and after a long, exhausting night, I said good-bye to my girls and then headed back to the hotel to get some shut eye before picking up Mom and Dad in the morning.

Wait, this is in Japan?

Babies in rasta clothes, so cute

the girls

After getting a grand total of four hours of sleep, I rolled out of bed at 8 am and headed back to the train station to meet Mom and Dad. Despite my best efforts, I still made it there twenty minutes late and found Mom and Dad waiting eagerly. They told me they had had a great time in Nikko and that everything had been smooth and easy. It really is amazing that even in a country as foreign as Japan, you can get by and have a wonderful time without knowing the language at all. The train station where we met was right near the beautiful old area of the city called Asakusa, so I suggested that we walk around there and have lunch before heading back downtown. We walked the streets, lined with vendors and shops selling souvenirs, antiques and traditional clothing. We stopped for some delicious and refreshing green tea ice cream, which made the perfect breakfast! As we walked around, Dad began to have quite a dilemma over which souvenir he wanted to bring home. On the one hand, he really wanted a nice casual kimono, which they'd been given in the guesthouse in Nikko, to use as a robe. On the other hand, he loved the beautiful paper fans and thought that displaying them on the wall would be a better way to remember the trip. In the end, he settled with the fans, and they found several beautiful ones to hang up. For lunch, we went into an authentic noodle bar, where we sat with locals who curiously watched us slurp the noodles in a surely uncultured way. But we didn't care, the atmosphere was great and the food was delicious!

Temple in Asakusa area

typical street scenes in Asakusa

hunting for fans

Finally, we headed back to our hotel in Shinjuku where it was time for me to pack up my stuff. I would be heading back to Korea that afternoon and Mom and Dad would stay in Tokyo for one more day before making the journey home. I packed up and just as we left the room, I pretended to forget something, so that I could put out a small gift for Mom and Dad- a clay sake pitcher and glass set, which I hoped would always remind them of how much fun we'd had on our adventure. We took a stroll through beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen Park, which has traditional Japanese gardens, and took a few more pictures before heading to the train station to part ways.

Beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen park

"It kind of feels like you were the parent and we were the children on this trip" Mom said with a laugh, trying to make light of the fact that we had to say goodbye. I hadn't wanted to mention it but I completely agreed. It was so fun to introduce them to new places and cultures that I know they wouldn't have had the opportunity to experience without me, and to see them grow confident as travellers. In just 9 short days, Mom and Dad had graduated from kindergarten to at least the fourth grade level of their travel education (haha, ok maybe I've exaggerated a little, but they defintely did improve their travel skills!). I know they left Asia exhilarated by their adventure and confident that they could do it on their own next time.

Once again, trying to hold back tears, I found myself saying goodye to my family, an event that was becoming a little too familiar. Despite my sadness to have to leave them, I just kept thinking one thing; how lucky I am to have people that love me enough to come all the way across the world to see me. Life's an adventure, but in the end, I know its all about love. So thanks to those of you who constantly remind me of that...

Japan: Round 2, Part 1

I have to say, I was pretty nervous about taking my parents to Japan (although, of course I didn't tell them that). When we first came up with idea of going, I thought it was great because I thought, why would you come all the way over to Asia and only see Korea? Korea is great and all, but there are a lot of other must-see places right next door. I had already been to Japan over the holidays, and based on my first experience in Tokyo, I started to question whether or not they would like it (after having already purchased the tickets). There were a number of reasons why. First of all, Tokyo is insanely big. It's home of the world's busiest subway station and crosswalk, the public transportation map looks like an intricate spiderweb, and you couldn't even make a dent on the city in three days. On top of that, Japan is expensive. Really expensive. Still on top of that, people rarely speak English, though English signs are everywhere (thank God!). For all of these reasons, I was pretty nervous about the trip. Yet, remembering how fascinated I was by the culture and how insanely cool and edgy the country is helped calm my worries. In the end, it turned out great. Although our adventure in Japan got off to a rough start, it was amazing after all and I was so glad not only that I got to take my parents there, but also that I got to experience the awesome city of Tokyo again.

It was a quick and easy hour and a half flight from Busan to Tokyo, and we arrived in Tokyo by 2:30 on Friday afternoon. The hard part was over...or so Mom and Dad thought. I knew that we had one more obstacle to get over; getting out of Shinjuku train station and finding our hotel. Getting out of Shinjuku train station? Even in a foreign country, how hard can it be to get OUT of a building? Just look for the exit or follow the people leaving your train and you'll find it, right? WRONG. Shinjuku station is the biggest, craziest mess of a subway station that you could possibly imagine. It's spans across at least 10 city blocks and is 5 levels high from the underground tracks, up to several above ground railways. It's what some people refer to as a "clusterfuck" (pardon my language, but that really is the best word to describe it). After approximately 20 minutes of lugging our bags up and down stairs and through crowded corridors, we finally wound up at the West Exit. CRAP! "Our hotel is east of the station, we definitely need the East exit," I told Mom and Dad. We all agreed that it would just be best to get in a cab, no matter how round-a-bout of a drive it was. Turns out, our cab driver didn't even know how to get to a hotel in the same area of the city we were in! He tried looking the address up in his map book of Tokyo (seriously bigger than a yellow pages phonebook), but couldn't find it. Even after calling the hotel, he was still driving around in circles.

At this point (especially if you know my Mom) you may be thinking, were any of you freaking out?!? Actually, we all remained pretty calm, even Mom, but I could feel the underlying panic that could have ensued at anytime. If anything, I was just feeling that all of my worries about them not liking Japan were already coming true. But, alas, we finally arrived at our cute little hotel, and aside from Dad almost mistakenly paying $100 for the cab ride, we made it there unharmed, and in one piece.

From there, the trip just got better and better. Just as we arrived at the hotel, the rain and fog that had covered the city as we flew in over it, was dissipating. As soon as we went up to our room and re-energized (beer was not involved this time, but would be shortly), we were off to our first stop at the famous Meiji Shrine near the equally famous Harajuku neighborhood. The stark contrast between the beautiful, old shrine, empty due to the rainy afternoon, and the hip, crazy, crowded shopping area of Harajuku provided a great introduction to the type of place that Japan is; A country that holds tight to it's past, while at the same time embracing and pioneering the newest trends and technologies.

After seeing the shrine and walking around Harajuku it was about 6:30, and I had planned to take Mom and Dad to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant that I had scoped out last time I was there. Unfortunately, the building where the restaurant had once stood was now a construction site, and finding a place to eat is not easy in Harajuku. It's more of a cafe/clothing type area. So, I suggested that we head to Shibuya to see Shibuya crossing and go to a spot where I was sure we would find our sushi. Mom and Dad agreed, but not before taking our beer break, we were long overdue for that.

We hopped on the subway, two stops to Shibuya and exited out into the world's busiest intersection; it is said that approximately 3 million people cross it everyday, and if you've ever seen pictures of bustling Tokyo streets, I guarantee this is the place. We made our way across the intersection and as our stomachs growled in anticipation of dinner, I promised we would find something just up ahead (secretly I didn't really know if we would find it). Sure enough, about two blocks down the street, fate brought us right to our conveyor belt sushi restaurant. It was like being a kid in a candy store, only this candy store had a really long line to wait on! That was okay by us, and we sat with mouths watering as we watched the sushi go round and round, waiting to get our chance to dig in. Finally, we got to the front of the line, and then it was heaven on a conveyor belt! Fresh, delicious sushi whizzed by and we giggled with joy as we grabbed each lovely little plate, opened wide and washed it down with refreshing beer and sake. The icing on the cake- the entire feast only cost $50!!







Stumbling out of the restaurant, stomachs full, heads a little hazy from the sake, I had one last idea for the night. A Japanese tradition that I knew Mom and Dad just had to try; a photobooth session! In Japan, young people always go to photobooths to take pictures with their friends during a night out. They take goofy pictures and then decorate them with bright, tacky, glittery designs, it's pretty hilarious. Mom and Dad happily agreed, but as soon as we got inside the booth, Dad said, "I don't know, I think this stuff is for girls." I told him it was too late, and he better just smile, so he did. The pictures turned out so funny and one of the best souvenirs from the trip; I know I will cherish mine forever.




After our photo session, we headed back to crazy Shinjuku station, which was still packed at 10 o'clock at night, and we picked up some more sake and snacks and went back to the hotel. We hung out, watched some funny Japanese TV, and called it an early night. There was a lot more in store for our Japan adventure, and we knew we would be needing the energy for it.

Adventures with Mom and Dad in Korea

It's Monday afternoon and I'm sitting in my classroom feeling happy, sad and exhausted all at once. Mom and Dad's highly-anticipated trip to Asia has come to an end, and I have to say it was better than I ever could have imagined. We had such a good time sightseeing in Korea and Japan and experiencing the culture of Asia. This week, I'll give you a recap of our week in Korea and next week I'll write about Japan because there is so much to say! But first, I've made a little list of 10 things I've learned from this trip about traveling with parents.This list should be especially helpful for those of you living in Korea, and hoping your parents will visit, despite the fact that they've never been to Asia, or any other country for that matter, on their own. Here goes...


10 Things I Learned About Traveling with Parents in Asia

10. Not everyone is an adventurous eater. My mom loves ethnic food, but to my surprise, unidentified fish in spicy fermented sauce was just a little too much for her to handle.
9. Be prepared to constantly be saying, "I don't know, that's just the way it is." There are many things in Asia that you just have to accept as "different."
8. Sharing an apartment with your parents for several days is a valuable bonding experience. Watching "Dancing with the Stars" together on your laptop will only enhance that bond.
7. Anytime something goes wrong, just play it off as a "cultural experience." Whether the food is too fishy, you're stuck in the world's busiest subway station, or the only available toilet is a hole in the ground, you can explain that it's all part of the cultural experience.
6. When traveling from Korea to Japan, make sure your parents understand the exchange rate. In Korea, 10,000 is worth $10 but in Japan its worth $100. Although Japanese cab drivers don't usually take tips, they might not refuse a hundred bucks.
5. Beware of the allure of chanting monks. You may find that your mother is drawn to the beautiful sound of chanting monks. If you hear any monk music while hiking in the woods, be sure to keep a close eye on your mother, or before you know it she may run off and join the monkhood.
4. Adult Diapers may be required. When traveling in places with more exotic food such as Korea, you may find that your parents (in my case Dad's) stomache don't agree with the food. Rather than go on a tour of all of the public restrooms in town, you may just want to bring along some absorbant undies. ;)
3. BYOTP- While you may find toilet paper in classrooms, subway stations, or even hanging outside on the exteriors of buildings, you probably won't find any in the bathroom. It's essential to BYOTP, especially if you've already forgotten the adult diapers.
2. Beer breaks are essential. Schedule at least 3 beer breaks daily to refuel and reenergize your parents.
1. And finally, I learned that when your parents come to visit you can give your bank account a rest!! Be like a kid again and let the rents pick up the dinner, hotels, train tickets, heck even have them buy you socks on the street! Thanks Mom and Dad!!


OK, that was all in good fun. If it sounds like we had quite an adventure, then you're right, we did. After eagerly waiting for weeks for my parents to arrive, and even fearing that everything would be ruined due to swine flu taking over the world, I finally went to the airport last friday to pick them up. They arrived looking tired but happy to see me and excited to begin the adventure. I brought them to my apartment where they would be staying for the week and Dad immediately hopped on the bed, ready to pass out for the night. This was unacceptable to Mom and me, as we really wanted to go out have the first taste of Korean food. Fortunately, Dad was a trooper and got up. We met my friend Alexis and then set out to a korean bbq restaurant where we grilled delicious beef, sampled kimchi and drank aged soju, until finally calling it a night.



The first weekend was filled with sightseeing around my city, Busan. Our first stop was Jagalchi Fish Market, which is a rather shocking and exciting introduction to Korea, as you get to see the people, food and customs all in one, busy and fishy-smelling place. For lunch we had a delicious meal of fried red snapper, soup and vegetable dishes, cooked for us right on the main street of the market. We then headed to Busan Tower where we got a glimpse of the city from a birds-eye view. We headed back to my place around 5pm to refuel before going to a temple, but Dad was completely drained and decided to call it a night. Talk about the early bird special! So, Mom and I headed to beautiful Beomosa temple for Buddha's birthday celebration, where we witnesses thousands of worshippers and monks hanging beautiful, bright lanterns all over the temple grounds. It was a truly unique experience that only occurs once a year, so we were both really excited. The following day, we took a ferry ride around Busan and went to another beautiful temple on the cliffs.







On Monday, I went to work from 9 am to noon and my school was nice enough to let me leave as soon as my classes were finished. We had Tuesday off for a Children's Day, a national holiday in Korea, so we were taking a trip to Gyongju, the historical city which was Korea's capital during the Silla Dynasty. We hopped on a one-hour bus ride to Gyongju and made our way to the charming traditional Korean guesthouse where we would be staying. For grand total of $30, we slept on the floor of a tiny, one-room Korean cottage. Though it may have been a little shocking at first, Mom and Dad ended up loving the place. That day we visited many natural and historicals sights around Gyongju, and to my delight they loved everything. Dad was especially fascinated by the architecture of the massive palace temples, and Mom was of course into all of the Buddhist history. That night we had dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant where we were served many, many small plates as well as Korean milky rice wine infused with Ginseng. Dad and I loved it, and although Mom wasn't in to the strange tastes, it was still quite a good cultural experience. The next day we did more temple sightseeing, and went to the top of a mountain to see a buddhist statue in a cave. It was a great little trip that we all really enjoyed.







We got back to Busan on Tuesday night, and I was anxious and excited for school on Wednesday because Mom and Dad would be coming with me. After a brief introduction ceremony in my Principal's office, Mom and Dad came up to my classroom where I was teaching 5th graders a lesson on "Welcoming a Tourist." They greeted Mom and Dad with a loud and enthusiastic, "Welcome to Gumjung Elementary!" It was really cute. The class was fun and I think both parents and students had a great time, so I was satisfied. For lunch we had the best meal possible, bibimbap! It's a favorite korean dish, of mixed rice, vegetables, meat and sauce, so I was really glad they got to try that. It was a fun-filled day, and I was really happy that I was able to show them what my day to day life is like in Korea. We spent the next day and a half trying restaurants, shopping and hiking and then it was finally off to Japan on Friday! More on that next week!


Pics are up!!! http://picasaweb.google.com/lcurrie711

They're here!

Mom and Dad are finally here in Korea and we're having a great time!! After 20 hours of traveling and successfully avoiding quarantine due to swine flu (thank goodness!), we reunited at the airport and it's been go, go, go ever since. Mom is really loving the buddhist culture and it's the perfect time to experience it as this weekend is Buddha's birthday. Dad is enjoying the food and getting a kick out of Korea and their design decisions. Tomorrow, we head to the city of Gyongju to see some Korean history and get a more traditional experience.

Yonggungsa Temple, Buddha's Birthday celebration

I'll give a full, detailed update after the trip, but right now I'm exhausted!! Much love from all of us in Korea! Annyong!