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Wow! So much has happened since my last real entry (short one liners from mobile phones aside). I tell ya, these morning starts are killing me!
First things first it was with sadness that I opened this morning’s Korea Times to learn that former PM David Lange passed away (Shit I was astounded last week to learn he had his leg chopped off.) I don’t think anyone else deserves more credit than Lange for stirring up some sort of self awareness of what it is to be a New Zealander. I was still in Primary school when he resigned as PM (and I remember that day very clearly, even now), but in the ensuing years I have studied a fairly large amount on the ‘84 Labour Govt. and learnt that New Zealand owes a great deal to David Lange’s forthright steadfastness in the face of both International powers (ie the USA) and his critics at home.
He will be missed.
On to some more pleasant things. Finally I have managed to get those pics from Sam of some raucous drunkeness a month or so ago and they are presented here for your viewing pleasure:
Mental note: don’t let people take pictures of you after half a dozen beers and a bottle of Jonnie Walker. Here is Sam doing his day job: 
He flys a Black Hawk for the Korean Air Force. Here he is again (Front aircraft left hand side:)
Any way it is timely that I should post these as Sam (Captain Park) invited me to go with him and some of his friends to Wido for the weekend. Wido is an Island off the west coast of Cholla Buk Do about two hours drive from Nonsan. We left Nonsan at about 10am on Saturday after picking up some BBQ meat and supplies. Arriving at Gyokpo for lunch (Black noodles - yummy). On the way we stopped off at this film set where this really famous historical drama on KBS is filmed. The series is about Admiral Yi Soon Shin who fought off the Japanese in like the 16th century using "Turtle Ships" so that was kinda fun.
The ferry ride took about 40 minutes and was the usual korean fare when it cam to transport - as many people on as possible sit any where its all good, but not to say unpleasant.
Here are some Turtle ships used by the production at the warf where we caught the ferry to Wido
We finally arrived on Wido and proceded to our accomodations - a lovly log cabin type arangement seconds from the beach where for the first time in well over 2 years I went swimming, and not in the relativly safety of a pool by god’s own ocean - It was fantastic. And I got some sun (ahgain for the first time in I don’t know when) Indeed Terribly sunburnt but hey… 
Here is the ferry.
The view from the batch we were stayiing at was amazing and could have been any beach in New Zealand - pangs of home sickness…
Any way. So we had dinner, way to much to drink and went to bed - all that sun and swimming makes you very tired! Sunday it was back to civilisation and finally Nonsan. Sam is another positive indictment on Korean People: We met at a bar and have only seen each other maybe 3 times in total but was kind enough to iinvite me on holiday look after me and show me another beautiful part of Korea. I have decided that it is not Korea per se, but Korean people that I like about this country. They are warm and by in large friendly and always willing to make a foreignors stay more comfortable.
GO KOREA TEAM FIGHTING!!!!
In other news today is August 15. In the West it is of course VJ day, or Victory over Japan, marking the end of World War two. In Korea it has more significance in that it marks the end of Japanese colonial rule on the Penninsula. (I mean I’d celebrate that…wouldn’t you?) So it’s another public holiday which means the second short week this month (Assah!) I could get used to this. Unfortunately due to Calenderical vaguries Chusok (Korean Thanksgiving) lands on a Sunday next month so only one long weekend in September Oh well!
August 15 is also Ji eugn’s 21st birthday. Happy birthday ‘Bizzare Girl’!
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