Spring is sprung the grass is ris  I wonder where the cherry blossoms is…er are. 
Since Nasty old El Nino has been spreading weather havoc all over the globe here in Korea he has brought an earlier spring to those of us long awaiting the chance to remove our long underwear. 
This juicy tidbit is courtesy of the Korea Herald, which reported that not only the cherry blossoms would be arriving early but also all sorts of creatures who spend winter in hibernation. So that’s where the roaches went.  
This seems to be true despite the cold weather that continues to grip us at press time. Everywhere I go in Pusan I can see cherry blossoms and other flowers in bloom. The bright colors breath bring life into an other wise dreary landscape. As I walk down the streets and the pathways into Temples I can understand why so many great poems and Haiku’s have been written about these marvelous spring flora.
Not to mention the many great festivals that take place to celebrate springs long awaited arrival. Here in Pusan the streets of Nam-Chon-dong change into a virtual paradise from the other wise over-crowded landscape of the many apartment buildings. There are many activities that take place here and in nearby Kwanali beach. Well at least thatØbs what I read in the tourist guide to Pusan. It seems to be a difficult thing, as II’m sure you may know, to get any kind of solid information as to exactly what is happening here in Pusan.
Faced with this problem, I decide to take a run on the information super highway in search of cherry blossoms. What I discovered is there are celebrations all over the world in regards to these magnificent trees. Most take place in Japan or in cities with a high number of Japanese citizens. I also discovered that there is a pen pal mail order companion club with the same name.
I did discover that there is a huge festival in Chin-hae, which is about an hourhos drive from Pusan, celebrating not only the arrival of spring but also the victory over the Japanese by Admiral Lee. The festival was started in 1952 and was then held in the downtown area at the foot of LeeØbs statute. The festival was moved ten years later to encompass the entire city and it now draws up to two million visitors every year during the first ten days in April. 
Depending on whom you talk to the infamous trees either came to Korea from Japan or the dreadful Japanese stole them from Korea during one of their many invasions. Whatever the case maybe, ItØbs easy to see the beauty and splendor that these trees inspire. Their colors relive the gloomy blahs created by the long winter months and wearing ones long under wear too long.
So whatever your circumstances are here in Korea try to get out and enjoy the splendor and the beauty that this country has to offer. Pack your lunch, grab some cold ones and head down to Nan Chon dong, or head out to Chin Hae, or just check out the nearest temple and sit down under-neath a cherry tree and let the wind blanket you in itØbs fragrant snow petals and feel good to be alive. And feel good to finally take off your long under-wear.