MandyMcGregor.co.nz

04, Sep, 2009

Actually I went to bed but I cant settle. Its 1am and I have just come into the business centre because I am driving myself up the wall trying to go to sleep. I thought I would have had a good nights rest as we did a lot of walking today, but so far it hasnt worked, my mind its just going on overdrive.

Tried to go shopping today, I tried some jeans on and so on but nothing really fit, and look for things to bring home.  Gave up and went to the beach, which was supposed to be a swimming beach. You would have to pay me a lot of money to get into that water, it was horrible. They have white-ish sand here, and seaweed and rubbish washed up on the shore. There was a lady sifting thru it, and when we returned about 2 hours later she was still there. It stunk.  There were also a handful of people fishing off the beach, its certainly not like home.  I miss home today, I know this is all great and I am living my dreams (almost - in my dreams I am winning!) but going away so often is really quite hard work. Its like you jump from one thing to another, just keeping it all afloat until you can deal with the next thing that comes your way.  I am stoked that I have about six weeks home between Korea and Melbourne, and once we are done here I cant wait to spend some weekends and time just doing normal stuff, get grounded again and regroup.  

At the end of the beach was a massive wooden brown staircase leading up a steep hill. Stephen and Shaun started to run up it, it semed like it was never-ending. Steph and I couldnt be seen to be so active so we took it one step at a time, getting to the top was a huge relief. There was a track at the top, we were on a 'point' if you like, and we walked out to the end, and looked back on the beach and surrounding city.  According to the diagrams on the board, this was supposedly the 2nd most attractive viewpoint in Ulsan. I'm disappointed! What I did like was the bare rocks with trees poking out, like you'd expect to see in an Asian photo of rocky hills. I know thats not very descriptive but it is 1am ok! Lots of people wandering around, and we took the track further to come across an outdoor gym. It was really cool, unusual apparatus, and Koreans doing thier daily workout. I thought it was a great idea, and I'd go to a gym if it was oustide like that.

After the gym we continued on and came across some shops and so on. They were all selling food, mostly fish fish fish, and these horrible things which Stephen said were Lamprays. Google them if you dont know what they are, they totally freaked me out. All the fish (and lamprays) were in tanks waiting for you to choose which one you wanted, and some were frantically trying to get out. I had to walk away, I wanted to free them all but they scared me at the same time. Its just so different.

Dinner tonight was a korean bbq up on the roof of the hotel. They give us the same food every night, but in different parts of the hotel I reckon. I didnt eat the bbq meat, Linda peeled me 3 prawns (THANK YOU) and I had sweet and sour pork for the hundredth time since I've been here, with the 400th naan bread I've had since I've been here, I tried the lettuce, not great, and 3 small pieces of seared tuna (nothing like Sushi ninja) and pineapple, apple and nectarine.

I cant remember what I eat back home?

Off to practise field in the morning for a good session, then to the competition field to support Stephen in the Mens Recurve. 

Right now though, I'm going to get back to my book. Maybe it will put me to sleep.