it's happenin'

i'm going to japan next week for two days!!! i know it's only two days, but still, i'm going to JAPAN!!! when is the next time i'm ever going to be able to hop over for the weekend? probably never... so i might as well take advantage. i picked up my ferry tickets today - it's a three-hour ride from busan to fukuoka - and i also booked my hostel - Khaosan Fukuoka International Hostel... i know it won't have enough time to do all the things i would like to, but i'll try my best!

i also made my trip to immigration to fix up the re-entry on my visa and amazingly there were no problems. i was in and out. since i was in busan i figured i might as well check out the nampo-dong area (one subway station over) since i had never really been there before. it was a really cool area with lots of shopping and street vendors. it seems like an area where you can get anything...

from dried squid...

to kimbap and other street food...

to neck ties...

and don't forget the "feminism fashion" !!!

this was just a neat statue i happened upon.

i didn't even see all of the area, i just wandered around for an hour or so. there were clothing stores, camera stores, outdoor stores, shoe stores, anything you could possibly want. i passed by three different mcdonalds, two pizza huts, a kfc, and many other restaurants. i was hoping to find a subway, but i still don't know if there is one in busan or not... the two things i wanted were the two things i didn't find - a video game store and a subway restaurant. oh well... maybe i'll find them in japan!

my illness was compounded by the not-at-all-fresh air in the city. i bought a face mask and wore it on the trip home, but i felt like a moron... we'll see how it goes... i might wear it and i might not... it just feels weird to have it on. the illness isn't gettin any worse, but it's not really getting better yet either... so all i can do is hope for the best!