Everland!

The same Saturday that I went to the art museum, I also got to go to Everland, which is Korea's attempt at creating its own Disney World.  It reminded me of Disney in a few ways, but it mostly just made me want to go to Busch Gardens.  I rode a wooden coaster - the first one that didn't leave my whole body in pain, but my leg slid out of joint while on it, so that hurt all day, but it's better now, so the memory is slowly being cast into a different light. :)  So, now I'm calling on you to be the judge.  What theme park does this remind you of?

The whole group at the entrance

My traveling buddies.

The decorations at the entrance reminded us of Disney's HalloweenTown.

More Halloween decorations

Lee Ellen and me, waiting in line with our hair doodads, which aren't so ridiculous in the park.

There was a laser-light show at the end of the night!

Like I said, it was fun, but Busch Gardens, VA is still my favorite.  What about you?  What's your favorite theme park?

Vacation: Bangkok

I stopped in Bangkok for one reason, and one reason only.  I'm going to let look at my pictures and figure out what is was.  :)

Rocking the sunburn for an early morning trip down to the floating markets.

The pressure to buy was intense.  One woman started crying when I said I wasn't interested, another started pushing things into my hands.  The place was packed, so I know they were going to get buyers, it's just hard for me to walk (or float) away from that sort of thing.  I'm sure that's what they were banking on, though.

He was selling the opportunity to get your photo taken with this snake around you.  If not for my excruciating sunburn, I would have gone for it.  You win some, you lose some, I guess. :)

Next, I met up with my tour guide at a WWII POW grave yard.   I didn't realize WWII had touched Thailand, but apparently, the Japanese used POWs to build a railroad to carry supplies through the country.  They generally worked 20-hour days, with little to no food and water.  Most died from the heat.  It was tough, walking down the cross-shaped path, hearing people searching for specific names, counting the number of men who were younger than me when they passed...  It was very emotional.

At the Bridge of Death, where so many men unwillingly gave their lives, forced to fight for the side against whom they began their war; I can think very few worse ways to go.  I pray to G-d for His mercy, that, one day, this will not even be an option that crosses the minds of our leaders.

At the tiger temple, with a sweet little cub.  He wasn't the youngest I hung out with, but the other was too frolicky for me to get a great picture. 

Fully grown, and fully fed, so he wasn't too interested in play - just bath time, then nap time.

Speaking of bath time, I had to take this sweet girl down to the river for her bath.  It was, on the whole, much more scary than being around the tigers, as I had nothing to hold while I was riding her!  This, of course, left me incredibly sore, as I think my goal became to stay on the elephant, using my legs as my only semblance of a seatbelt.

Loving that rub down (I hope - it was a little hard to tell).  She started playing with me after a while, splashing me with water and spraying some out of her trunk.  I ended up feeding her in the end, and I think she decided she liked me then. ;)

So - can you guess what it was?  I know, it was definitely an eventful day that is leaving me smiling, even now.  I certainly wouldn't trade it in.  I would recommend it (link attached to the title, of coure).
<3

Can an Elephant Jump?

I'm 90% certain this is a fourth grade class.  For your viewing pleasure:

I'm not going to lie... it got hard to do that every morning for this past month... mornings + exercise + Anne = akdsjhgfakjdbgbeaprghasdjlkgadfjlkhgjkadbfljkgnaerkjhg.

<3

I promised...

I got my VISA paperwork! It's here! It's here! I will send it off to Korea tomorrow.

My departure date has also been officially pushed back. I will arrive in Korea on August 24.

I am also delaying leaving Nashville. I'm not sure when I will leave, but it will certainly not be this weekend.

Also, I'm not nearly as sore today as I thought I would be, but I did make a doctor's appointment to make sure that everything is going okay with the places where I bumped my head in the accident. I'll post that update either tomorrow or the day after, because my appointment will be calling it awfully close to the HP 7.2 premiere!!! :)

Drive safely, friends!

This entry has nothing to do with Korea... well... not really.

So, my friend Bri has this really fun blog that I enjoy reading. Mostly she shows me really pretty things that remind me that I'm a recent graduate from college and have no money, but today she hit the jackpot. She put up these printable posters to help get healthy, so, in an attempt to make me happier on that insanely long flight to Korea (See? We knew I could tie it in somehow.) and just in general. I'm intending on undertaking the adventures that these posters outline. Who's with me? (Comment and leave me some support... I can't do this on my own.)

Sooo... here's the "Welcome to Exercising" one:
And here's the "Get the Daily Recommended Amount of Water" one:
We'll see if I stick to this. Wish me luck!

P.S. The boyfriend got me back into Paper Mario. Click here for a list of recipes to have Tayce T. make for you. (Although, we have found some errors.)

P.P.S. I left you some fun facts linked to the title of this entry.