Muddy and Muggy and all Things Exhausting

Cant..type....so hot... SO HOT!  I didn't think human flesh could just melt off the bones, but here we are- melting. We being ALL OF KOREA. I've nearly broken  a personal hand fan just from over use. Finally having to break down and scoop up an electronic fan, and not at any bargain deal mind you. Its the peak of gloomy summer weather- which is something else that drives me nuts.

I know Oregon weather can often be bad, but at least its got a kind of charm to it. Here, its just a dreary hot drizzle all day long. The decent half of Korean summer has fled like a blushing bride. All that remains is its blustering bearded sister to come drooling over the whole peninsula. Just fabulous.

The rain did do a service however this last weekend when many of us attended the Mud Festival. Which included much MUCH mud. So a free shower now and then was welcome.

Before

And after

It was a great weekend, though to be sure it wasn't without its misteps. (I'm like never to forget to line the stomach with food aplenty before having a drink or ten.)  The best part was the mud flats themselves. Teaming with rocks and shells and crabs alike. Crabs. Crawling in the mud. Then again I suppose it was us crawling through their mud...

All them Crabs

But the really REALLY best part? All them dirty girls....

Really-nothing dirtier

Aside from the bland jokes, our good friend 예지 has been in and out of the hospital again. Having once revcovered from a near fatal head truama, she's finally had her fractured skull put back together (not really as gruesome as that sounds) and hopes to make a second speedy recovery. I don't have any of her X-rays to show, but I'd say thats alright since no one would want to look at them for too long anyway. Pretty quickly you'd be rubbing your own temples in sympathy.

My gracious family saw it fit to end the terror of sub-par coffee and tobacco here in Korea by sending over a gallant care package, complete with all the delicious tastes of home. So much unyielding thanks to them for that. They even lent me news of a friends-long spanding connection to family in Japan (Theirs, not mine,) and directly in the areas i'll be visiting this next month.

By the way, i'm visiting Japan next month. In case that was glazed over. I'll soon be excited to go, but I'm never too pumped about something until im near the edge of it. So come August 9th, I'll be all rear-ripping to go. FOOD. Mostly Japanese food. Thats what I want to try. Also sights, hiking, and we booked a good-ol tour of a local whiskey brewery for our personal enjoyment. That's sure to be a fun time.