Pusan/Busan

Hi everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates... I haven't been using the computer that much since mine is still not working and the internet at the hotel is really expensive anyways.

Well we have been here in Pusan for almost a week. First something on the names since I know it may be a bit confusing. Sometimes when cities in Korea are written in English they are spelled differently depending on where you see them written. For example, Busan and Pusan are the same city, as are Daejeon and Taejon, or Daegu and Taegu. I'm not exactly sure of the reason, but I do know that in Korean the difference in the aspirated vs. non aspirated consonants (that's 3 years of voice and speech talking... Sheila and Shirley would be so proud!) is sometimes not recognizable. It's very difficult when hearing someone speak if they are making the k sound or the g sound. It also varies from region to region! Even with all that, Korean is still no where near as confusing as Mandarin.

Pusan is lovely and right on the ocean. There are a bunch of beaches and even though it's still too chilly to go in the water, it's great weather for walking/reading/playing frisbee on the beach. It's also really nice to get some sunshine in our lives! Something I think we have all been missing.

The audiences are even better here in Pusan than they were in Daejeon! The same thing happened in China, so it's not a surprise but really nice to end well.

The other day I was watching some Korean TV and there was one of their variety/talent shows on. One of the girls judging got up and sang with one of the contestants. Turns out, it was Ujin ("Eugene"! She is the Korean pop star that the Korean wardrobe crew named me after and they all call me Ujin. Even Een Ju, my Korean teacher started calling me that ever since I told her the story. So I've had a Chinese name- Ying ying, and a Korean one- Ujin!

Well here on tour instead of counting days or shows until something, we count "sleeps." So... 23 sleeps until I'm home!!!