Back in the USSR

I made it back to my Moscow, (Москва - "Moskva") hooray!!!!! It's a little colder and more wintry here than it was in Korea, there is still a lot of snow! But it was sunny last evening when I arrived and this morning during breakfast. :-) I had bread with fish and cheese pancakes with sour cream and honey, and coffee, of course!

After breakfast, I took a bath, because I was pretty dirty from the trip to Korea. I touched some soup early on and dirt stuck to my hands after that.

After my bath it was rainy and I felt sleepy, I took a nap by my window for the rest of the day. I have to get lots of rest because tomorrow I am going on an adventure!!! But it's a surprise, so I can't say too much ;-)

Yours Truly,
Michael TheMonkey

Mobile Michael

Hi Everybody, I generated a mobile bar-code so you can find me on your phone!

- Michael

Fireworks in Four Languages

Hi everybody, it's time for another 4-language post! Please add your language in the comments! And I'm still learning, so if you see anything wrong with my sentences, do let me know! :-)

- Michael

Busan, South Korea - 2010

English
I hear fireworks!
Did you see the fireworks last night?
He has always been afraid of fireworks

French
J'entends des feux d'artifice!
Est-ce que tu as vu les feux d'artifice hier soir?
Il avait toujours peur de feux d'artifice.

Русский
Я слышу фейерверки!
Вы видели фейерверки прошлой ночью?
Он всегда боялся фейерверков.

Español
¡Oigo fuegos artificiales!
¿Vio los fuegos artificiales anoche?
Él siempre ha tenido miedo de fuegos artificiales.

Moving from here to there, a Korean retrospective

Well, I'm nearing the end of my Korean adventure, in just a couple of weeks I'll be Moscow-bound. As I get ready to leave, I'd like to reflect on some of the things I liked and will miss most about Korea.


No. 1 - Sunshine

Busan in early March

The past winter has been one of the sunniest of my life. While Korea can get very cold, it stays clear and sunny for a lot of the year. And especially in Busan on the southern coast, there's only a short period during the year when it's hard to find something green.


No. 2 - Transportation

Even the small towns in Korea are readily connected by relatively inexpensive modes of public transportation. By taking a bus or train, you can get almost anywhere you need to go in under four hours. The high speed KTX runs the length of the country from Seoul to Busan, takes only 3 and a half hours and costs only around 35 dollars, plus it is so comfortable!!!

Enjoying my seat on the KTX

No. 3 - Food

I'll miss everthing: galbi, jjimdak, bulgogi, kimbap, bibimbap, dakboki and yes, even kimchi. Actually, kimchi has really grown on me, it's so spicy, crunchy and fresh. I don't think I'll realize how much I really miss all of it until I've already left and can't have it anymore. :-)

Jjajangmyeon and other treats at a "Chinese" Korean restaurant

No. 4 - People

Busan station

Koreans in general are very welcoming and friendly. Someone will almost always help you if you get lost and many people go out of their way to make foreigners feel welcome. Most Koreans are well-educated and have traveled or lived for a few years in other places. Many people are eager to practice their other languages, ask about places they are familiar with or just express interest in things external to Korea.


No. 5 - Seasons

Korea is extremely proud of its seasons, and for good reason. The trees bloom in spring, grow green in summer, turn red and gold in fall and dark in winter. The seasons correspond very closely to three month periods on the calendar: March-May is spring, June-August is summer, September-November is fall and December-February is winter.

Goodbye soon, Korea, maybe I'll see you again later!

Sincerely,
Michael TheMonkey

7-year-old Friends!

I got to go with my friend to school in Korea and met some new friends! These children are 7 years old by Korean age calculation standards. They go to this school to learn English.

They shared me very nicely with each other!

A little about Korean age calculation, which can be confusing if you aren't sure how it works...

everyone is "1" at birth, and everybody gets a year older at the new year rather than on their birthday, so sometimes a person's Korean age can be almost two years more than it would be in the West. For example, a person born in December who is 24 by Western standards is actually already 26 by Korean standards in January.

So, these students are 7 years old in Korea, but they would only be 5 or 6 in the west. They are all learning to speak English very well!

They thought I was cute, too.  :-)

All the best!

Michael TheMonkey

Michael picks.....Watercolors!

Hello, Friends! I hope the spring brings the new colors to your life....or maybe  some watercolors! I wanted to share my etsy finds!

1. Moon
2. Late Afternoon
3. Frisco Flowers
4. Wild Bird
5. Cat and the Sea
6. Fifth Avenue
7. Apple Blossoms
8. Jersey Shore Spring
9. Indoor Collage

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

Dragonfly in Four Languages

Let's learn languages together! If you can add another language in the comments, please do!!!

Near Andong, South Korea - October 2010

English
It is a dragonfly!
I saw a dragonfly yesterday.
I hope that there will be dragonflies near the river.

Français
C'est une libuelle!
J'ai vu une libuelle hier.
J'espère qu'il y aura des libuelles près de la rivière.

Русский

Это стрекоза!

Вчера я видел стрекозу.

Я надеюсь, что около реки будут стрекозы.

Español

¡Esto es una libélula!

Ayer vi una libélula.
Espero que haya una libélula cerca del río.