Laughing all the way

Well, as many of you know, I had my motorcycle stolen, only to be found again. I enjoyed riding 2 motorcycles for awhile and then I recently sold one to my friend Neal. I love my new bike, but miss the old one...got used to the old girl....anyway so I am driving along the other day and the gears on the bike stop changing...just will not go into gear, so I hop off and take a look and I see that the chain had fallen off (much like a bicycle only more difficult to physically put back on track). So I am on the side of the road getting grease all over my hands trying to put this damn chain back on track...to no avail. Good thing I was only 8 blocks from my mechanics
:( . So I start pushing that bike, huffing and puffing all the way. I am about 1 block away when I am stopped by a lady and man sitting outside on a bench. They ask me "what is wrong?" So I proceed to show them the chain problem, only to discover that somehow on my long walk the chain had popped back on (knowing me it happened within a couple of steps). I am sweating and I guess they felt sorry for me because they ran and got me a facecloth and a coffee. That is just so Korean of them. Sweet sweet sweet.
Other than that the bike is working great, and we have formed a "biker gang" here in Mokpo. The thing is that when you have a bike, it is not just a mode of transportation, it is a "think to do"....it is a pleasure. The "Biker Gang" consists of a scooter, a couple of motor bikes (that are only 125 cc's and will hit a whopping 80 km/hour...yes, mine is one of those) and a beautiful 650cc BMW motorbike. I went out "cruisin" with my friends the other night (minus the BMW guy) and it was so fun, but I have to say we are probably more like a "geek" squad than a biker gang! Randy, my brother, would just laugh and laugh at me I am sure...but I got to tell you, I love love love it! My bike felt so "powerful" next to the scooter! LOL... but then the next day I went out with the BMW guy...and he just blew past me like I was standing still! I felt like I was the one on the scooter! Now....I just want something faster! I think I will have to wait until I get back to Canada though...no sense investing in something more expensive...resale is unlikely with new foreigners who don't want to buy something that is more than 500 bucks...
oh well, I still love it and am so glad I have a motorbike (now equipped with 2 locks).

some things I have learned

Hi everyone,
A friend of mine mailed me a great letter and I think it may help all of you who are home-sick:

...your time there will be up before you know it. Take advantage of each and every day.
...don't bother missing home too much. Nothing will have changed much.
...people are amazing everywhere in the world. And there are some odd ones everywhere too :)
...my world "grew"in ways I never expected. Living abroad is such a time of self discovery.
...take advantage. Put yourself out there.
...The friendships you'll make are ones you'll carry with you for the rest of your life.
...take a lot of photos. Especially of the everyday stuff. This serves two purposes:
1. to show people at home stuff.
2. to help you remember when you start to forget the details. And I promise you will.
...don't expect to ever get back to where you are right now. Take full advantage of being there, explore see as much as you can.
...the kids you work with will always be a part of you.
...when you get homesick. Know that there are people here missing you too, sending their love and saying "I am so jealous of Christa"!


Thanks Angela, your words have really helped me when I needed to get perspective...see you in July.

Photos Korean Style

Myself and some friends went out to the photo shop today and had so much fun! We just giggled our butts off! A great time was had by all...check out the photos!