Dear Uncle Tony & Zach,

The seasons here are very defined and balanced. Right now it's still in the nineties and very muggy, just like Georgia. I'm already adapted for such a climate, but I was hoping for a change. Fall is supposed to be a very beautiful season for Korea, and the temperature will be very nice. It's the winter that I'm truly excited about, though. Korea gets snow for several months in the winter, last year being particularly snowy. I have every intention of photographing religiously all the downtown city snow as this will be the first full white winter of my lifetime. In the spring it's warm but comfortable and the Korean national flower can be seen in blossom everywhere.







The particularly snowy winter 2006







I actually wondered the same thing about the roads. Koreans drive on the same side of the road as we do, so at least that is familiar. I don't know what I'd do if it was opposite. All the terror of the streets combined with constantly looking the wrong way before crossing would combine to engender a pale Steven who never left his closet.

They don't eat cats. I think that's only American Chinese restaurants. They do, however, eat dog. It's a separate breed of dog expressly for eating, so it's not like they get tired of the pet one night. This practice stemmed from the harsh treatment of the Korean people under Japanese rule from 1910-1945. There was lots of famine, and desperate times called for desperate measures. Nowadays, for the most part, only the older generations eat dog meat and the younger generations steer clear. For everyone's information I have every intention of eating dog, especially because YongHee is one of the few young people who enjoys the taste.

I haven't left the city yet, but I plan on traveling to Pusan in the future. Seoul is about an hour south of the North Korean border, and about three more hours south is the East Sea. Korea's second largest city and their most important port is Pusan, and the sushi there is the best and freshest in the country. I believe either IYC or the Mentor's club will take a Yonsei University affiliated trip to the country somewhere, but that's planned in a few months. Most of Korea outside of Seoul is still very rural and traditional.

I shaved my face in an effort to look at least somewhat more Asian. From those who have seen the older photos of me with goatee they say that they much prefer the sans goatee look since facial hair is so rare and foreign here. It would be as if a tribal Kenyan came to America in full headdress and a loincloth, walking up and down the streets chanting. The goatee makes it insanely obvious that I do not belong here, so (though I miss it) it has taken a leave of absence.