Adventures in Downtown Daegu...

Walking around in Daegu is a true adventure... especially if you don't speak the language LOL!

My co-workers took us downtown on the bus so that my housemate and I could learn how to go downtown. By God's grace the 2 times that we have ventured out by ourselves God has placed one of the students on the bus and she lets us know where to get off. On one of those occasions we got on the bus not knowing where we were going... all we knew was that we needed rain boots and tennis shoes... We got on the bus and God blessed and one of the students was there and she came along with us and even called one of my students to come with.

During that outing we stopped at a beauty shop because I needed to buy something. I had been told before that in South Korea the women bleach their skin so that it can be lighter...(keep that info in mind ;) So we walk into the store and quickly the sales lady starts trying to sell me everything that she could. I found what I needed, she keeps on spaying things on our faces and giving us things to smell. All of a sudden she takes my hand and dabs some cream on it ( I thought it was lotion) she then tells us not to take it off for the next 3 minutes. My mind starts racing, no one else was thinking much of it. I was like "hmmm"... it's not lotion because if it was lotion I could touch it... it's not cleanser... what is it..." Then I remembered! IT'S BLEACH!!!! NOOO!! Please take it off! The sales person first took my housemates off when she got to me it was already starting to burn ( I have sensitive skin) I have no a slightly lighter patch of skin on the top of my hand :P

Walking on the sidewalks in South Korea is walking on the side of danger...LOL ok so maybe I'm stretching the truth a little. Here is the only place that you have to look both ways to walk on the sidewalk! Be careful or you will have a bike, scooter, or even a car honk at you if you are in their way while walking on the sidewalk. Never think that as the pedestrian you have the right of way... nope ;) I have seen people trying to cross the street and have a car back into them. When u go downtown, there are some areas that have brick roads. You would think that these shopping areas are for pedestrians only...no they are not, and be careful because cars will come flying down the street and you will have to jump out of their way. Right after the bleaching incident, we were looking for tennis shoes. We went to cross the street to go to another store in the shopping area, we stopped for a a second in the middle and all of a sudden these cars were coming at us and I had to pull my student out of the way...Talk about running for your life. To go shopping is a dangerous thing..LOL

This is without mentioning that my housemate and I stick out light sore thumbs here LOL!

I'm learning though to understand that looking both ways before you cross is a whole lot important here then anywhere else... It can cost your life... ;)