as the days wind down....

I realized why I feel so relaxed and at peace here in Haenam. You don't have to worry about crimes of any sort. You can leave your purse in any of the buildings, and know that when you return to get it, it will have everything still in it. Not that I recommend leaving your purse anywhere, but it's an example. If you hear somebody walking behind you, there are no worries that they might be about to jump you. I feel safe walking anywhere at any time alone in this town. I know that I live in a small town, and chances are that I won't have anything happen to me if I walk around, but there is always a chance. Here, there is not. It gives you peace of mind to walk slowly and enjoy the day without any stresses, and it is wonderful. I'm really going to miss this town. 

I asked my host at lunch if he would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me, and he was really nice about it. I was really nervous asking him because it required me asking him to be a reference AND for him to write a letter in English. He said that of course he would be willing to. He is very good at writing and reading English it is just conversation and speaking words that are more difficult for him. It is obvious he has spent a lot of time learning from non-native English speakers and learning from books. He spends a lot of time with an English conversation book and he knows a lot of expressions and phrases which is really good. There are just some problem areas that he has that is very typical for Koreans that I have noticed. 

One of them is that he tends to add the letter "e" to a lot of words, especially when the words end in "ch" or "h" or "sh". When my little kids first started playing go fish, they called it go fish-y. They also all have trouble pronouncing the letter D, and that is because that letter is not used in Korean. Other trouble letters are X, Z, and J, but those are to be expected. Yi Sul is very helpful explaining to Moksanim where to put your tongue and how to say it after I repeat the word a few times. 

Not much to report today. I reserved my hotel room for my 3 nights in Seoul. I found a cheap hotel that is near the subway and also near this airport limosine which costs less than $9 which will be good for when I have to go to Incheon on Saturday. I can't believe how close that day is getting. Every time I blink I feel like another week has gone by, but this time in a week I will already be in Seoul.