This video was taken in the summer of 2006. It the section of the fish market where there are small restaurants, is where I had the BEST sushi of my life! It was SO fresh and delicious, there was a taste explosion going off in my mouth. I’ve been eating sushi since I was 16, but realized I had never really had proper sashimi until that day.

I did a visa run to Japan last week, and wanted to write a “How to” post before I forgot all the details. The following is very detailed with lots of pictures - probably not interesting for those outside of Korea.

Almost all English teachers have to do a visa run some point during their stay here. Last week was my fourth visa run to Japan (once to Osaka and three times to Fukuoka). Fukuoka seems to be a popular city for a visa run because it’s usually the cheapest, especially if you take the ferry. Since my school didn’t pay for my trip, this was the route I took.

First of all, I booked a round trip ferry ticket from Pusan to Fukuoka through Kangsan Travel. Email them, or better yet, call them at +82 (051) 747-0031. Ask for Alice because she speaks English and can book you a ticket immediately. Obviously, book as early as you can because it’s pretty busy on the weekends. It cost me 190,000 won ($202 USD) for a round-trip ticket. Kangsan Travel can also include a one night stay at a hotel (usually Central Hotel) for 230,00~240,000 (depending on availability and day). I was going over a weekend, so all their partner hotels were full, so I opted just for the ticket.
This is their policy on canceling tickets:

*CANCEL/CHANGING DATE CHARGE
3DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE : 30 % PENALTY
AFTER DEPARTURE : 50% PENALTY
You can’t cancel your schedule 3 days in advance of your departure day.

Office:

207-Ho, A-Dong, Sejong World Plaza B/D, 1479-3
Jwa-Dong, Haeundae-Gu, Busan, Korea
(Jangsan Subway Station, line #2, stop #201, exit #3)

Upon arriving at the Pusan Ferry Terminal, take the escalator upstairs, confirm your ticket at “Kobee” and they’ll assign you a seat. There will be an additional 11,600 won ferry tax that needs to be paid before you can get your seat assignment. (Click on any of the pictures for a larger version on my Flickr account.)

If you’ll be arriving in Japan after 2:00 pm, make sure you exchange money at the port in Pusan because the money exchange office in the Fukuoka terminal closes at 2:00 pm. They open every day from 7:30 am - 2:00 pm. So, if you need to exchange money on a Sunday in Fukuoka, take a bus back to the ferry terminal and do it there. I did. By the way, the exchange rate in Japan is not THAT much different than in Korea. Save yourself the hassle and just do it all in Korea.

(left: leaving Pusan port. right: the “Beetle”)

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I LOVE fine paper.  Everything about it - the texture, fibers, weight, the feel of sheets between your fingers, the sound different papers make when you fold or crumple them, how the texture and font of a business card can convey so much, and how my mind runs wild with ideas when I see beautiful paper.  So… I was in heaven last week when I went to Japan to do a visa run and came upon this…

View this in the original size on Flickr.

I received this text message from my friend Reardon, a couple hours after arriving home this morning:

“u cannot promise many pictures of japanese girls thn pull “down time” bs.” 

Okay, okay, here they are:

View the entire album here.  I’ve talked to a couple guys and they say Korean girls are better looking, while Japanese girls have the nicer bodies.  You be the judge.

I’m finally back home after being gone for over a week.  It feels nice to come back to a comfortable and familiar place.  As promised, pictures are coming.  This coming week will be REALLY busy for me.  After this week, I won’t have constant internet access for two months.  Therefore, I have to get as many pictures uploaded as I can.  A major change for my blog will also be happening in the coming weeks.

Here’s the first installment of photos.  It’s a collection of Harajuku fashion from Tokyo.  The Harajuku girls (and boys) are known around the world for their wild and crazy styles.  Their way of dress is also labeled "cosplay," or "costume play".  I think a lot of the tourist who took pictures of the cosplayers thought they were weird and freaky, and I overheard some making fun of them.  When I heard the ridicule, I’d think, "That’s laughable coming from someone wearing a sweat soaked t-shirt, khaki zip-off shorts, and Jesus cruisers (Birkenstocks).  You wish you had as much style as them."  I think the whole scene is really cool.  I admired their different outfits and would think, "Wow, I never would have thought to put those pieces of clothing together, but it looks great."  My favorite style was the "gothic lolita" look.  If you’d like to learn more, check this out:  "Behind the Scenes - Cosplay in Tokyo".