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A lot has happened since I last wrote. I'm in Hong Kong now!

My last couple of days in Korea were pretty great. We went to Seoul on Friday which happened to be Buddha's birthday. Bad idea. It was so crowded! We paid for this tour bus that runs by thirty different famous places. We could jump off at any of the places and get back on another bus whenever we're done. The buses were supposed to run every twenty minutes, but the least we ever waited was forty minutes. The most was an hour and twenty.
Besides the waiting and massive crowds, it was a lovely day. We saw the national museum, the war monument museum, a historic village (which had a rice cake cook-off going on), a shopping place where we ate lunch, and a market where I bought some scarves, coin purses, and custard bites. After that we caught the train back to Chuncheon. It was a good and tiring day.

Sunday was my real last day. We went to church, and I just read my Bible most of the time. That afternoon I went shopping with Sarah, and it was actually fairly successful! The thing I hate about shopping in Korea is that most stores don't let you try things on. I'm not going to pay forty dollars for a dress that I don't even know will fit me! Seriously!

That night some family friends took us out to this super nice Korean restaurant. The entire table was absolutely covered with little bowls of food. While Americans tend to have one main dish and a couple side dishes, Koreans love to have five or six side dishes. Well this meal probably had thirty different things, including grilled meat. egg soup, shrimp with onions, squid legs, crab innards (that you mix with rice), tiny fish with walnuts, and fish organs. It was very exciting.

The next morning I got on a bus and headed to the airport. The day didn't go too badly, except I was afraid they weren't going to let me leave in Shanghai. When I had my layover in Japan on the way in, they just checked my passport, and I went to my gate. In Shanghai, they probably checked my at least eight times, and I went through several different security points. I kept thinking I was going the wrong way because I didn't think they'd have so much security for a layover. But they did. I got very thoroughly patted down, and I was taken to the special security offices twice. But I finally got through, thank goodness.

So I'm in Hong Kong now! I'm mostly moved into my new room, which is defintitely smaller than anything I've ever lived in before, but I like it. I walked to my dad's work on my first day being there and didn't get lost! I was very proud of myself. That night we walked around some downtown areas and rode a ferry around. The skyline is simply gorgeous.

My mom got in last night, so we fetched her from the airport. Today and tomorrow I think we'll be shopping for some things I need/want for my room. Exciting times!