yearning for yoga.

My first night out in Busan under my belt, the activity of the week took its hold on me and my compromised immunity. I woke Saturday morning feeling slightly under the weather. But, before I had even arrived in Busan I had found an English taught yoga class that only meets once a week on Saturday, and had been adamant with myself that I would attend. So, garnering my waning energy, yoga mat in tow, I made my way to Seomyeon, an area about a 25 minute subway ride from my apartment in Minam. I am quite happy that I went, my body was not thanking me the next day, but I had an opportunity to meet some wonderful, fellow foreigners and made my first foray into creating new friendships. The rest of my day was dedicated to sleep. My cold was taking a firmer hold on me and I was hoping to keep it at bay as my first full week of classes loomed.

Sunday I ventured to a store called HomePlus - a huge multinational chain that is a megastore complete with groceries, clothing, electronics, housewares, etc. - to stock up on some groceries and some necessary home furnishings that I was missing. I was gratified to discover that HomePlus stocks a whole organic dry foods section as well as organic produce. Imagine my delight! I could remain my hippie, happy self without compromise even on the other side of the world. HomePlus even replete with recycled paper toilet tissue and natural detergents and cleaners! Joy!

I had also discovered a smaller, independently owned "hippie shop" just down the street from my work. The store is run by this wonderful woman who speaks relatively fluent English and who has become my friend in the last couple of months. She often gives me discounts and little things for free. She carries some of the organic items not found at HomePlus but, accordingly, her prices are higher - I do my best to patronize her shop while not breaking the bank. She was incredibly impressed my first time shopping there by my Queen's "big green bag:" the biodegradable, recycled material bags that Queen's gave out to student for free during Frosh Week. She loved it and wanted to make a replica of it to sell in her store. She pulled out her cellphone and took all kinds of pictures of it - it was quite entertaining.

Aside: Things that are hard/impossible to find here: cheese (if a store stocks it, it's a pretty penny and I tend to buy in bulk because there is no guarantee there will be any when you return), raw oatmeal (I have yet to find that), brown bread (the brown bread I have found is questionably brown bread - apparently the white bread phenomenon spread far and wide here), and chickpeas (one of my favorite forms of protein consumption, beans, are very hard to come by - I've only found kidney beans and dried soy beans, so far). Those are the items I miss most. Otherwise I have adapted quite well to the foods available to me. And, it doesn't hurt that I can retain my organic eating habits.

With a stocked fridge and an achy body I spent the rest of my Sunday sleeping and lounging, mentally preparing myself for the week ahead.