Halfway Point

     I know it's been a while since I've written, but I've been busy living the life here in Seoul! We are just a little over halfway through the regular season and while it's not quite the position we'd like to be in, there is still plenty of time to turn things around. I read an article today from back home in the U.S stating how the Dodgers were 9.5 games back from the Giants in early June. They are now virtually even 3 weeks later. If that doesn't tell you anything is possible then I don't know what will. We can get hot and rattle off a pretty good winning streak just like any team can. It's important to remain positive and put the necessary work in everyday to ensure you're doing everything possible to help the team win. And to you fans, thank you for being there each and every game to support us.
     Aside from the job/baseball portion of my life, I've had many new experiences that make this time here in Korea so enjoyable. One of those experiences came roughly 3 weeks ago with my teammate Everett Teaford. We were off to pay a visit to Costco to get some groceries and stuff to have at home. We hopped in a cab with one of our translators, Nick, on the phone to tell him where we'd like to go. He told him Costco and off we went. About 10 minutes later, we pulled up to some building that had stock exchange written on the side of it. This was clearly not Costco so we got our other translator, Jay, on the phone to try and explain to him where Costco was. This driver clearly had zero clue what Costco was and eventually I spotted it out the window in the distance. If it wasn't for that, I don't think we would have made it. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIa7rZWWpdo.
     I've also had a good amount of different restaurant samplings in my 4 months here. We've managed to find several places that have great food that we have returned to time and time again. And the funny part is, it isn't just Korean food. I love this Mexican spot we found in Apgujung called Coreano's. Great Mexican food and they speak a good amount of English too. Brick Oven Pizza here in Gangnam is always going to be my favorite because of my love for pizza in general, but tonight I had Maple Tree Korean BBQ in Itaewon and it was fantastic. It gives Brick Oven a good run for its' money and I will be returning there very shortly for sure. With my girlfriend and family coming shortly, there will be plenty of eating out and even more experiences to speak of.
     I can't forget to talk about what has taken over my personal life for the past 2 weeks, and that's the World Cup. With it being held in Brazil, the time difference is a killer and I've found myself falling asleep at 3 AM most nights so I can watch the first game of the day whether the U.S.A is playing or not. Watching some of these teams play is such a treat that I can't pass it up. If I had to pick a winner, I think Germany wins it all, but there are so many competitors out there capable of taking anyone down. With that being said, I've got roughly 30 hours until the kickoff between Belgium and the U.S.A. For sporting events, there are 3 things I get really excited about: Jets football games, UConn Basketball games and the U.S World Cup games. I got the World Cup fever in 2010 for the first time and I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon.
     The weather is heating up here and that means the subway is getting hotter too. If you see me sweating, I apologize in advance. I love taking the subway to Jamsil everyday though. It seems like I meet someone new all the time who wants a picture. A week ago, I saw 2 teenage boys sitting down looking at me and then looking at their phone. They did this for 5 minutes while I glanced at their phone to see what they were looking at. They had found a picture of me and were trying to decide if I was that person. Finally they got the courage to ask me and I took a picture with them. If you see me, please don't be shy!!! And one more thing, please do not be shy about bringing me some hotteok. I can always eat one of those, they are my absolute favorite.
     I still have several things I need to do this summer including screen golf, trekking to the Demilitarized zone and visiting Seoul Tower. We have the All-Star Break coming up soon and I will have Jenna here to do some activities with. Also, I need to get on that fishing expedition and trip to Everland. Amusement parks are a personal favorite These Korean fish aren't ready for me!! I will be sure to write sooner as I have had multiple people ask me when I am writing next. See you all you fans tomorrow night!!!! Until next time...