June

We're already a few days into the new month, which quite amusingly is printed as Jury on our calendar at school. We're absolutely whizzing towards the half way point of our first year in Korea.

Following on from Baskin Robbins being mentioned as one of my Friday Favourites, I decided to give it up for a month. It wasn't actually as hard as I thought it might be, mainly because I replaced B&R with all different kinds of street food that I've been brave enough to try. In the last month I've become a little obsessed with pajeon, hotteok and bibimbap. We've found loads of lovely little restaurants that I can't wait to go back to and try more of now that I am starting to get my head around the food, and the menus.

Speaking of food, I ate in the company of not just the lovely cats at the With Cat cat cafe in KSU this month, but I ventured upto Jangsan to see if the puppy cafe was anything to write home about. It wasn't really, but it did inspire me to finish the dog blog which I'd been planning for a while.

Even though it's getting hotter and hotter here, the weather hasn't been so great, which means alot less time has been spent beach napping. Although we did head to Haeundae beach for the Sand Festival where I saw some of the biggest sand sculptures that I've ever seen. It was also nice to have the roller derby girls in Busan this weekend and having probably the most laid back practise I've ever been to. I also attempted to go to a yoga session on the beach but was distracted by the proximity of Beached Bar, so ended up going for a few drinks and some chips instead. So, so good!

We tried a few new nights out, including Choryang Chinatown, Crossroads and Soultrane at PNU, the Fix lounge at Dongnae and Club Elune at Haeundae. The latter two being mainly Korean clubs so it was quite funny to see the type of reaction we got when we walked in. We also went to watch the Korean's take on metal at Club Realize in KSU, I don't know how they're so energetic and manage to wave their heads around so vigorously in the heat.

The highlight of this month for me was definitely visiting Soyang Orphanage. Some of the children there were so heartbreakingly sweet, it was hard to say bye to them. I was also really upset to have missed the talk at PNU by a North Korean defector, but luckily Tasha made it and could tell me all about it.

I became the proud owner of my first Konglish tshirt, we hit the markets a few times to scope out some vintage things, and instead I came back with some amazingly cheap dresses. I need to find someone who is willing to do the Korean trend of coupling with me whilst wearing a tshirt showing some ridiculous Konglish. Also, in the underground market I thought that I had managed to lose my purse, I spent a whole week of my life trying to get it back again, and then it magically turned up in the boys toilet at school...very strange.

This next month I'm hoping to hear news that my Grandad is out of hospital, and mostly looking forward to a well earned week off from teaching. Roll on Summer.