Fantasia Land...and on to Okinawa!

Hey guys and girls.....


About time to check in with the goings on here in Korea. I was able....until this week mind you...to enjoy an extremely temperate winter season as it has been very comfortable temperature wise. It rarely hits freezing here but as of late...the degrees have dropped and I have noticed frozen puddles.



Last month, our school decided it would be a welcomed break from routine to load the kids up on two tour buses and ship us all out to a theme park located about an hours drive from here in Busan. Although the weather was chilly, the kids had warm hearts as we set out for a full days action worth of rides.


Let it be known, that before going I had mentioned to a significant other that I was somewhat trepidacious of hitting the ol' roller coaster. I had been on one in Osaka a few years prior that left me literally and figuratively "gutless".


Butttt, I am proud to announce that after the students challenged me to board the beast...some as young as seven... I had no choice but to honor their request, lest I become an individual of questionable fortitude in their eyes. And that I did....going on 6 times!! It was awesome. I almost (not quite) forgot what it was like being and acting like a kid.


And there I was...wooing and screechin' as we did the three consecutive upside down loopedy loops...great fun.


The rest of the attractions were a tad more tame...albeit fun in their own right.


I scarfed down some hotdogs and chicken skewers for a mid afternoon snack thinking how happy I was to share in the children's joy from being away from the structured tutelage and mundane study routine that they are all too often laboured with...and just be one of them....as kids.


On a side note....it is about 10 days away before I make my triumphant return to the land of the rising sun. This will be the sixth trip there...this time to a more southernly, sub-tropical locale..Okinawa.



I am gearing up the Karate Kid 2 movie to remind me just how unique this part of the world is.


I was thinking that it might be a good opportunity to try and track down the karate senseis of the Uechi clan...that were instrumental in my Dad's earning of a black belt in Uechi Ryu Karate do.



With that, we'll see you again....armed with some beautiful beach pictures and a story or two to tell.



Here is the theme park that I enjoyed....



Kids queueing at the entrance.

Fantasia...on a cold winter morning.

Some 80's style Andre the Giant and Macho Man poster.

Kiddie roller coaster.


Korean scrambler.

This ride was awesome.

Hope you all enjoyed the ride!!