Highlights of my Day... Saturday, February 21

1. Fell asleep last night in the strangest of positions as a result of not wanting to disturb Mi Nam from what looked like a very slumber sleep. But waking up in that same position meant I had gone from 28 to 80 in a matter of seconds when I tried to sit up... ouch!!!

2. A pinched nerve in my back combined with skipping and boxing didn't exactly result in a winning equation and instead resulted with a lot of "ohhhhh" and "ahhhh". So training was a bust today. I painfully barely got through thirty minutes of skipping and a couple of rounds of shadow boxing before I stopped... in frustration and in a lot of pain. It was too much.

3. Definitely have to find some kind of sports massage therapist in Cheonan.

4. I've got a new friend, Kicks, and she's cooler than cool so be jealous... be very jealous... hahaha. She's a stunning rugby player who just spent a month down in Thailand at a kind of Mauy Thai boot camp, which I'm totally jealous of... hahaha. It's about time I finally found a sports-minded girl friend. I'm so sick of those "I'm-all-about-my-boyfriend" girls or those girls who's hobbies consist of drinking and coffee shop jumping. So running into Kicks was quite refreshing and so unexpected.

5. Anyways, today she came to Cheonan and so I took her to check out my boxing club. Tang, Junior Mint, and Panty Boy Jr. were there when we arrived and so we all got chatting. She doesn't speak Korean though, mind ya, she lives in Itaewon. If Songtan is Little America than Itaewon is Big America in Korea.

6. We chatted up a storm over a plate of Cheonan's best pasta, courtesy of Dono Marco.

7. Favourite restaurants in Cheonan:

1. Mainz = Awesome, if not the best, Korean BBQ food served in a pub-like cozy
atmosphere.
2. Dono Marco = Probably the only Korean who's mastered real pasta. It's served up in small place but very modern place and the fact that the owner/cook always comes to say goodbye and thank you to me is the perfect way to cap off the meal.
3. Abis = A beautiful large old house that's been turned into a restaurant that's ultra romantic at night, especially if you score one of their patio tables. Their pizza and pasta are great but it's more so about the atmosphere.
4. California Roll = A trendy second floor restaurant that serves an assortment of mouth-watering California rolls.
5. Shabu-Shabu (the one beside my building) = Shabu-shabu is beef, vegetables and noodles cooked in a big delicious broth. This family-operated restaurant is always packed so go there early.
6. Spicy Chicken = It's a run-down corner restaurant that looks ghetto with it's 5 tables but they serve up the meanest plate of spicy chicken that will leave your tongue numb and tummy smiling.
7. JeJu Island Restaurant = This hot spot is located downtown but is somewhat camouflaged but beyond it's initial hidden gate, it opens up to a large house/restaurant. They bombard you with side dishes, the most delicious fried fish, and the lady of the place has a nak for remembering faces and generously giving out smiles.

8. Hearing about Kick's amazing travel stories and whatnot made me think I've been living under a rock for the past four years, seriously. I need to get out more. Kicks is planning on going to go to Hong Kong at the end of March to watch an international rugby tournament and so I'm thinking about joining her on this trip. Why not, right?! After all, what's the point of making all this money and having so much time off work if you aren't going to do anything with it?!!! My fear is that I'm going to leave Korea with no real memories except for those I made in the boxing ring or in my classroom. I need more than just that. And with so many beautifully amazing countries just a short plane ride away, it's about time I branched out and explored what God has so easily put on my doorstep.

9. Kicks kicks... hahaha. We had such a great time and I can't even begin to tell you how great it was to finally meet someone who's also so into sports and training. I introduced her to Mi Nam and Mi Nam was totally lovin' her too... hahaha. Kicks left Cheonan with probably more of Mi Nam's fur on her clothes than that left on Mi Nam... hahaha.

10. Later in the evening I ended up meeting up with Q. He suggested we go catch a flick and so we checked out "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons". It was an interesting flick but a tad bit too long for my liking. To tell you the truth though, I found it rather depressing. The thought of this main character growing older while he watches those around him get older and die was sad.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Where do you want to go?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.
-- Robert Louis Stevenson