It's no secret I have my objections to my place of residence while working in Hongcheon, South Korea. It's never easy learning to live in a 15' x 15' box, especially having been raised in America (the land of big yards and broad spaces)! Yet, I've learned to cope with my situation. I've come to accept that I live in a space that forces me to chose between sleeping, cooking, or doing my laundry (as I lack the floor space to do more than one of these things at a time). I've even come to enjoy the cozy climate as the winter season has settled in swiftly here in my mountain town. The small space is much easier (and cheaper) to heat in the face of -15C weather.
But what I cannot abide by is mold.
Mold is disgusting, debilitating, and discretely makes its way into the corners and crevices of your home. Mold happens to have been festering in the considerable space behind my headboard for the past three months! I was shocked to find the bottom foot of my exterior wall, covered in fuzzy black mold. This quiet, and uninvited companion has been spreading more and more as the winter season has set in. Though I managed to peel the fuzz off the wall with a sponge and a copious application of distilled vinegar, I am still unsettled about the cause of this infestation in my walls.
For whatever reason, many Korean apartments are constructed very simply. Mine has one central room, plus two small closets that make up my kitchen and bathroom. My walls are covered with wallpaper, that has been laid over the bare concrete of the building in which I reside. For this reason, my room lacks considerable insulation and retains heat through the combined effort of the heaters in the tenants rooms surrounding mine. In a way it is good for me, because I benefit from their heat. But it is bad because my exterior wall is ice cold. This draws all the moisture in the room to condense on that wall, drip towards the floor, and create a stomping ground for mold.
Because of the building's construction, there is no way to prevent this. My only solution is to buy disposable dehumidifiers and periodically spray the wall with vinegar. This is likely my best hope to control the mold problem in my home. Because of the construction, the lack of ventilation, and the nature of Korea's climate, mold is another inevitability when it comes to living in Korea. I hate to imagine this (who really accepts black fuzz growing behind their bed?) but it is not another fact of my apartment experience overseas. Of all the issues I have encountered in my experience living alone in a closet of a living space, this is the most irritable.
Well, this and coupled with the fact that I cannot move without breaking the lease on my closet. Due to the way Korean rentals work, I have been informed that I would have to pay through the nose to change apartments at this point in time. Though I am unwilling to do this quite yet, I am considering the expense given my difficulty maintaining good health during my time abroad. I can never seem to shake this perpetual cough and cold that surges up every few weeks! I suspect my living conditions may have something to do with it. Should my health remain in hiatus, I will pursue the proper course to break this lease and find a more suitable place of residence.
In the mean time though, I've stocked up on vinegar and become much more diligent when it comes to vacuuming my apartment....
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
An afternoon with Vincent
The other weekend found me in Seoul, visiting a friend from my excursion to Dokdo and enjoying a little culture in the form of one of my favorite painters. I am referring of course to Vincent Van Gogh, who is currently being featured at the Seoul Arts Center. Though I was not permitted to photograph the exhibit itself, I did indulge in a few photos of the Arts Center ground before entering the exhibition.
I enjoyed my experience in the Seoul Arts Center. Van Gogh is forever a favorite of mine and I cannot help but be enamored by his work. This exhibit featured much of Van Gogh's work from his time in Paris, the intention was to show a historical progression in the artist's style. I would love to say more about the content of this historical examination, but the exhibit's notes were featured only in Korean (I suppose that should not surprise me). The exhibit also boasted the largest collection of Van Gogh's self portraits on traveling exhibition.
Altogether, I found the exhibit to be much smaller than I had hoped. I have a particular favorite Van Gogh at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (their only Van Gogh) which is a spectacular landscape. Many of the pieces in this exhibit were smaller subjects and portraits. Not my favorite, but excellent pieces to be sure. The exhibit definitely did demonstrate a shift in the painter's style over the years he spent in Paris.
Though the exhibit was quite crowded, as most things in Seoul are, I was able to enjoy getting close to several paintings to take in their content. I rather love Van Gogh for the texture of his paintings as well as the clever way he utilizes color. I distinctly recall enjoying one of his self portraits in which he used teal, blue, orange, and beige for the color of his own skin. I see a great sadness in the self portraits of Van Gogh. It's a deep and calm sadness. Like the sadness I feel when a beautiful sunset has just slipped down from dusk into night, and is gone forever.
The Van Gogh in Paris Exhibition will be at the Seoul Arts Center until February. Should you find yourself in need of some culture and happen to be on the south side of the city, drop in. I'd say it's worth the walk, but the rest of the Arts Center was lacking in exhibits enjoy. It does not seem that the Hangaram Art Museum has much of an in house collection of arts to enjoy, so it won't make for a long aesthetic indulgence. It will, however, sate an appetite for a world famous painter. If only for a little while.
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| Just outside the exhibit being held in the Hangaram Art Museum |
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| Just outside the Arts Center Opera House |
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| Inside the Opera House! |
I enjoyed my experience in the Seoul Arts Center. Van Gogh is forever a favorite of mine and I cannot help but be enamored by his work. This exhibit featured much of Van Gogh's work from his time in Paris, the intention was to show a historical progression in the artist's style. I would love to say more about the content of this historical examination, but the exhibit's notes were featured only in Korean (I suppose that should not surprise me). The exhibit also boasted the largest collection of Van Gogh's self portraits on traveling exhibition.
Altogether, I found the exhibit to be much smaller than I had hoped. I have a particular favorite Van Gogh at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (their only Van Gogh) which is a spectacular landscape. Many of the pieces in this exhibit were smaller subjects and portraits. Not my favorite, but excellent pieces to be sure. The exhibit definitely did demonstrate a shift in the painter's style over the years he spent in Paris.
Though the exhibit was quite crowded, as most things in Seoul are, I was able to enjoy getting close to several paintings to take in their content. I rather love Van Gogh for the texture of his paintings as well as the clever way he utilizes color. I distinctly recall enjoying one of his self portraits in which he used teal, blue, orange, and beige for the color of his own skin. I see a great sadness in the self portraits of Van Gogh. It's a deep and calm sadness. Like the sadness I feel when a beautiful sunset has just slipped down from dusk into night, and is gone forever.
The Van Gogh in Paris Exhibition will be at the Seoul Arts Center until February. Should you find yourself in need of some culture and happen to be on the south side of the city, drop in. I'd say it's worth the walk, but the rest of the Arts Center was lacking in exhibits enjoy. It does not seem that the Hangaram Art Museum has much of an in house collection of arts to enjoy, so it won't make for a long aesthetic indulgence. It will, however, sate an appetite for a world famous painter. If only for a little while.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
That's right kiddies! It's CHRISTMAS TIME!
As much as I have loathed the holiday season in previous years (working retail will do that to you), I have been experiencing a new found pleasure in the Christmas season. Though South Korea has a substantial Christian population, Christmas is not the massive, in-your-face marketing monstrosity that I am accustomed to seeing in America. It's rather refreshing to listen to listen to Christmas carols when I want to, rather than whenever I go to a place with a PA system. But the laid back approach to the celebration of Winter Solstice is not the only thing I've come to experience in this December.
It's only the second week of December and practically everyone has "checked-out," proverbially speaking. Last week, the last of my middle schoolers had their final exams. Which means they have nothing left to learn for the remaining three weeks of school.
So what are we to do?
Whatever we damn well please, as far as I can tell. With no textbook lessons left to teach and students experiencing an extra dose of apathy, I'm encountering a liberation from the obligations of textbook teaching. In fact, many teachers simply show movies at this time of year, something I am reluctant to do (mainly because I want to save films for when I have to teach the little buggers without a co-teacher). It's a little exciting to talk about something other than text book expressions that make no sense. It also liberates me from having to construct so many lessons. Students at all levels can appreciate a Christmas lecture, add in a few games, and you're free from lesson planning for the month! (well you would be if you only had middle school to teach, alas....) Now I have a hoard of time to myself at my freezing cold desk to plan for winter camps, spring semester, travel plans, and oh so many more things!
At least that would be the case if yours truly hadn't been hit by the "Christmas-time-can't-give-a-damn" bug.
I've collected most of my lessons for this month, I still have lots of planning left to do, not to mention I need to start learning Korean (yes, I've been here for four months, I should have started earlier)! But do I have the energy or interest to do any of these things?
Well, no, not really.
Like so often, I am full of good intentions and ideas of how to occupy my time with productive work. Yet, for some reason, today I just can't muster up the nerve to buckle down and work. Maybe it's the -15 C weather, or my waning patience, I'm not sure. One thing is for sure though, I'm shivering, settled up, and finding new ways to fritter away time!
As much as I have loathed the holiday season in previous years (working retail will do that to you), I have been experiencing a new found pleasure in the Christmas season. Though South Korea has a substantial Christian population, Christmas is not the massive, in-your-face marketing monstrosity that I am accustomed to seeing in America. It's rather refreshing to listen to listen to Christmas carols when I want to, rather than whenever I go to a place with a PA system. But the laid back approach to the celebration of Winter Solstice is not the only thing I've come to experience in this December.
It's only the second week of December and practically everyone has "checked-out," proverbially speaking. Last week, the last of my middle schoolers had their final exams. Which means they have nothing left to learn for the remaining three weeks of school.
So what are we to do?
Whatever we damn well please, as far as I can tell. With no textbook lessons left to teach and students experiencing an extra dose of apathy, I'm encountering a liberation from the obligations of textbook teaching. In fact, many teachers simply show movies at this time of year, something I am reluctant to do (mainly because I want to save films for when I have to teach the little buggers without a co-teacher). It's a little exciting to talk about something other than text book expressions that make no sense. It also liberates me from having to construct so many lessons. Students at all levels can appreciate a Christmas lecture, add in a few games, and you're free from lesson planning for the month! (well you would be if you only had middle school to teach, alas....) Now I have a hoard of time to myself at my freezing cold desk to plan for winter camps, spring semester, travel plans, and oh so many more things!
At least that would be the case if yours truly hadn't been hit by the "Christmas-time-can't-give-a-damn" bug.
I've collected most of my lessons for this month, I still have lots of planning left to do, not to mention I need to start learning Korean (yes, I've been here for four months, I should have started earlier)! But do I have the energy or interest to do any of these things?
Well, no, not really.
Like so often, I am full of good intentions and ideas of how to occupy my time with productive work. Yet, for some reason, today I just can't muster up the nerve to buckle down and work. Maybe it's the -15 C weather, or my waning patience, I'm not sure. One thing is for sure though, I'm shivering, settled up, and finding new ways to fritter away time!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Soraksan 2012
Of my many illustrious adventures during the month of November, none was as scenic as my weekend in Soraksan.
Soraksan is South Korea's largest national park. It occupies a considerable amount of space between the cities of Inje and Sokcho. It is famous for Sorak Mountain, the highest peak in South Korea. Soraksan is also riddled with monasteries, temples, and other historical sites. Soraksan is an extremely popular vacation spot, particularly in the fall when the trees are changing color. Because of this, trails can get bogged down with hikers, forcing one to literally wait in line to climb a mountain. I experienced some of this, particularly at the higher points of the first climb where one can only climb via a narrow metal staircase, but more on that later. What you need to know is that Soraksan is big, beautiful, and crowded in the fall.
I did not attempt this journey on the fly, but in fact arranged it through a travel group called Adventure Korea. This is a company based out of Seoul that helps foreigners form groups to do various activities throughout Korea. Adventure Korea handled booking the hotels, arranging for charter buses and even some of our meals. For a weekend trip, it was nice to not have to do any of the planning. In addition, it gathers together many foreigners living throughout Korea and (you guessed it) almost all of them are English teachers. So, traveling with a tour group allowed me to meet a few new faces as well as tackle a few mountains.
I embarked on this adventure to the outdoors with fellow Hongcheonite Franke, who accompanied me to Inje where we met up with the bus from Seoul carrying the rest of the group. At Inje, we hopped on Adventure Korea's charter bus and rode another hour or so into the park.
Our first day we were given two options: a hard hike or a really easy hike. Given that we had come a considerable distance, Franke and I both jumped on the chance to do the difficult hike. The hike we went on was to the peak of Ulsanbawi (or as we pronounced "Ulsan-Bowie"). It was a fairly difficult hike that took us up past several temples, a hermitage, and a giant-ass statue of Siddhartha Buddha. Along the way we befriended a couple other teachers Alex, and Margaretha. The former of which I am about to steal pictures from for this blog (as he is a considerably better photographer than I, kudos for being awesome man). So without further ado, photos of Soraksan!
These were all photos form our first hike, on Saturday. Needless to say, the next morning we were given two options on hiking. A hard hike and an easy one, we took the easy one. Hiking down from the peak of Ulsanbawi I recall pausing for a moment and feeling my legs quivering beneath me. I have never been so literally knock-kneed in my entire life!
Though the second hike was easier, it was raining steadily the entire day. So I decided to forgo taking any pictures. My new friend Alex, however, was willing to risk his rather lovely camera for some exceptional shots of the scenery (i.e. more photo snatching to come).
This second hike was a waterfall trek, though in the summer it is said to dry up. I must admit it was rather a boon that we hiked this trail in the rain as the waters were high and the river flowed with at a vibrant pace. Though this made an easy trail somewhat precarious, I thoroughly enjoyed hopping around on slippery rocks and trails to see the course of the ravine we were hiking.
Thanks again to Alex for the photos I am more or less stealing!
So there you have it! A weekend in Soraksan, complete with photos, friends, a more than a few unforgettable moments!
Soraksan is South Korea's largest national park. It occupies a considerable amount of space between the cities of Inje and Sokcho. It is famous for Sorak Mountain, the highest peak in South Korea. Soraksan is also riddled with monasteries, temples, and other historical sites. Soraksan is an extremely popular vacation spot, particularly in the fall when the trees are changing color. Because of this, trails can get bogged down with hikers, forcing one to literally wait in line to climb a mountain. I experienced some of this, particularly at the higher points of the first climb where one can only climb via a narrow metal staircase, but more on that later. What you need to know is that Soraksan is big, beautiful, and crowded in the fall.
I did not attempt this journey on the fly, but in fact arranged it through a travel group called Adventure Korea. This is a company based out of Seoul that helps foreigners form groups to do various activities throughout Korea. Adventure Korea handled booking the hotels, arranging for charter buses and even some of our meals. For a weekend trip, it was nice to not have to do any of the planning. In addition, it gathers together many foreigners living throughout Korea and (you guessed it) almost all of them are English teachers. So, traveling with a tour group allowed me to meet a few new faces as well as tackle a few mountains.
I embarked on this adventure to the outdoors with fellow Hongcheonite Franke, who accompanied me to Inje where we met up with the bus from Seoul carrying the rest of the group. At Inje, we hopped on Adventure Korea's charter bus and rode another hour or so into the park.
Our first day we were given two options: a hard hike or a really easy hike. Given that we had come a considerable distance, Franke and I both jumped on the chance to do the difficult hike. The hike we went on was to the peak of Ulsanbawi (or as we pronounced "Ulsan-Bowie"). It was a fairly difficult hike that took us up past several temples, a hermitage, and a giant-ass statue of Siddhartha Buddha. Along the way we befriended a couple other teachers Alex, and Margaretha. The former of which I am about to steal pictures from for this blog (as he is a considerably better photographer than I, kudos for being awesome man). So without further ado, photos of Soraksan!
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| It's a BIG Buddha |
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| Guess where we're headed? |
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| This hermitage is carved into the mountainside |
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| Hiking buddies (compliments to Alex) From left to right, me, Margaretha, Franke, and Alex |
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| Oh, and did I mention it got a wee bit steep? (photo by Alex) |
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| Don't let the smile fool you, all I an think is: DO THESE STAIRS EVER END!?!?! (Photo by Alex) |
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| Another fantastic photo by Alex |
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| Photo by Alex |
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| On top of the wooooooooooooooorld! |
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| Oh, and you can see the sea from Ulsanbawi |
Though the second hike was easier, it was raining steadily the entire day. So I decided to forgo taking any pictures. My new friend Alex, however, was willing to risk his rather lovely camera for some exceptional shots of the scenery (i.e. more photo snatching to come).
This second hike was a waterfall trek, though in the summer it is said to dry up. I must admit it was rather a boon that we hiked this trail in the rain as the waters were high and the river flowed with at a vibrant pace. Though this made an easy trail somewhat precarious, I thoroughly enjoyed hopping around on slippery rocks and trails to see the course of the ravine we were hiking.
Thanks again to Alex for the photos I am more or less stealing!
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| Only the most stylish dress for the rain |
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| The waterfall... and a life preserver... God help whoever actually needs it |
So there you have it! A weekend in Soraksan, complete with photos, friends, a more than a few unforgettable moments!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Back to the blogging
Well December is finally here and I'm back to the blog.
Where have I been?
NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month, sponsored by the Office of Letters and Lights, is a "contest" among writers to see who can crank out a 50,000 word novel in 30 dreary November days. There are no rules, other than it be original, it begin on the first of November, and that you finish by midnight on the 30th. So, can one actually achieve 50,000 words in a month (while jugging all other obligations)?
I did it in 29.
Granted that meant I spent most any spare moment typing away at my computer, whether I was on the bus, at my desk, between classes, and sometimes late into the night while curled up in my bed. Can't say I wrote a prize winning piece, but I can say I've written a novel in less than a month!
Last year's NaNoWriMo project I failed to get past 48,000 words. I'm happy to say I made it to 50,010 words (though I still haven't come up with an ending yet, so it'll be more). It is really nice to accomplish this goal.
I feel wonderful at how easy it is to fit in time for writing. In all honesty, it demonstrates to me that if I fail to find time for writing in my life, I'm not really trying to write. Granted, writing for quantity does not often yield quality, but in the words an unnamed English professor (unnamed because I honestly can't recall her name) the key to writing is?
Shitty first drafts.
In all honesty, she's dead on. First drafts are the worst examples of a person's writing (sadly they composed all too many of my collegiate essays), but until there is a first draft, there is nothing. So I'm pleased to have made this draft of my second attempt at a novel manuscript. Bringing me all the closer to actually composing a novel worth publishing, and yes, I will publish these works at some point in time.
It's gonna happen people.
On the other hand, sitting at my desk at school I realize now how much time I spent writing while on the clock. Throughout today I've noticed that I have all this time. Time waiting for files to download, time between classes, time to just sit when I can't think of anything work related. I realize now I spent a lot of my day writing this damn manuscript!
I'm not finished with this novel. In fact, I suspect I'll be working on it throughout December, but at a considerably more leisurely pace. That and I need to edit this novel's predecessor (something I've put off since... well... last December). Ideally, I'll be able to polish the two books and post excerpts here (or my other blog since these novels have nothing to do with Korea and I haven't posted on that blog in.... yeah).
In any case, my literary marathon is at last ended! I'm happy to report I managed to have a social life, teach classes, and travel throughout November while accomplishing this goal of mine. I consider that to be worth a the proverbial pat on the back.
I'll be releasing stories about my adventures abroad during the month of November in short order (as in when I finish sorting through pictures). As a teaser I can tell you I've been busy during November. I've administered my first Middle School Speaking Tests (which some of my students actually passed!), hiked in the largest national park in Kora, been to and from Seoul several times, and.... slept.
You'd be surprised how difficult it can be getting that last one....
Where have I been?
NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month, sponsored by the Office of Letters and Lights, is a "contest" among writers to see who can crank out a 50,000 word novel in 30 dreary November days. There are no rules, other than it be original, it begin on the first of November, and that you finish by midnight on the 30th. So, can one actually achieve 50,000 words in a month (while jugging all other obligations)?
I did it in 29.
Granted that meant I spent most any spare moment typing away at my computer, whether I was on the bus, at my desk, between classes, and sometimes late into the night while curled up in my bed. Can't say I wrote a prize winning piece, but I can say I've written a novel in less than a month!
Last year's NaNoWriMo project I failed to get past 48,000 words. I'm happy to say I made it to 50,010 words (though I still haven't come up with an ending yet, so it'll be more). It is really nice to accomplish this goal.
I feel wonderful at how easy it is to fit in time for writing. In all honesty, it demonstrates to me that if I fail to find time for writing in my life, I'm not really trying to write. Granted, writing for quantity does not often yield quality, but in the words an unnamed English professor (unnamed because I honestly can't recall her name) the key to writing is?
Shitty first drafts.
In all honesty, she's dead on. First drafts are the worst examples of a person's writing (sadly they composed all too many of my collegiate essays), but until there is a first draft, there is nothing. So I'm pleased to have made this draft of my second attempt at a novel manuscript. Bringing me all the closer to actually composing a novel worth publishing, and yes, I will publish these works at some point in time.
It's gonna happen people.
On the other hand, sitting at my desk at school I realize now how much time I spent writing while on the clock. Throughout today I've noticed that I have all this time. Time waiting for files to download, time between classes, time to just sit when I can't think of anything work related. I realize now I spent a lot of my day writing this damn manuscript!
I'm not finished with this novel. In fact, I suspect I'll be working on it throughout December, but at a considerably more leisurely pace. That and I need to edit this novel's predecessor (something I've put off since... well... last December). Ideally, I'll be able to polish the two books and post excerpts here (or my other blog since these novels have nothing to do with Korea and I haven't posted on that blog in.... yeah).
In any case, my literary marathon is at last ended! I'm happy to report I managed to have a social life, teach classes, and travel throughout November while accomplishing this goal of mine. I consider that to be worth a the proverbial pat on the back.
I'll be releasing stories about my adventures abroad during the month of November in short order (as in when I finish sorting through pictures). As a teaser I can tell you I've been busy during November. I've administered my first Middle School Speaking Tests (which some of my students actually passed!), hiked in the largest national park in Kora, been to and from Seoul several times, and.... slept.
You'd be surprised how difficult it can be getting that last one....
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
More "On adventures in politically contested territory..."
And we're back! With more memories of visiting the island of Dokdo!
Thursday we woke early for our ship to Dokdo, originally we were supposed to leave at 4:30am, thank god that was changed to 7am. We boarded a small ship with a massive amount of elderly Koreans to sail two hours to see this sight.
The ride to Dokdo was considerably rougher than yesterday's ferry. I was happily doped up and dozing from a fresh supply of seasick meds, but there were quite a few passengers who suffered terribly and made good use of the complimentary vomit bags.
I was rather groggy when I awoke to the sound of dry heaving from the seats across the aisle from me. I noted that the playlist on my ipod had finished, hence the unwelcome noise. However, I peered out the blue tinted window to see a shadow in the distance. I tapped awake the friends sitting around me and informed in the most eloquent way, "hey... we're here."
My excitement mounted as I watched the island appear in and out of view as the boat veered port to starboard. Soon the ship made it's approach to the island, with my side being favored. I happily snapped some photos as we approached from my seat. Consequentially, half of the ship wanted to snap photos from my vantage as well. So I spent the next thirty minutes politely enduring various elders leaning over me with their camera phones trying to snap pics while climbing over each other to get to the deck.
For those of you wishing, waiting, wanting for some climactic realization of why this island appears to be such a big deal. BE DISAPPOINTED! Dokdo, is actually not particularly impressive in it of itself. It is more or less two giant rocks in the middle of the East Sea. There are no shores and the cliff faces are ridiculously unforgiving. Throughout the trip there was talk of Dokdo becoming a South Korean naval base. However, this bold blogger may go so far as to say that sounds largely impractical. Where would you put anything? Unless you wanted to carve a base into the rocks themselves in the fashion of some James Bond style villain making a seaside hideout.... actually that sounds kinda awesome.... but I digress
The docks to Dokdo are difficult to get to and in the end we were unable to disembark. The seas were too rough to dock on the island so the ship pulled back from the shoreline (or cliffline as it were) and we were allowed on deck to circle the island for pictures.
The ship made a single pass of Dokdo, then the passengers were shuffled back inside to make the voyage back to Ulleungdo. I was sad to leave behind the sunlight and sea air. I had been hoping to enjoy the sailing of my journey in the open air and light. Alas, it was too dangerous to allow passengers outside while the ship was making its journey. The ride back was even worse than before and I enjoyed walking about as the ship slammed over wakes and waves. Again, I was happy as can be, however many of my fellow passengers did not share my sentiments. I soon returned to my seat and dozed a bit during the ride back to Ulleungdo.
I couldn't help but reflect on the ride back about the island of Dokdo. For such a small, and seemingly insignificant place, it plays an enormous role in the Korean imagination. I looked around at a ship full of Koreans who had braved the rough sea, just to see this place, and realized that I should have more empathy in regards to the Dokdo issue. I suppose Dokdo (much like the East Sea/Sea of Japan issue) has to do with Koreans asserting their identity. Korea is a relatively small nation, housed between the more well known and respected nations of China and Japan. Throughout history they've struggled to assert themselves as independent politically, socially, and culturally.
The Dokdo issue and the animosity is raises has strong emotional ties to the suffering of the Korean people under Japanese colonization around the time of the Second World War. That suffering is most certainly not forgotte. When issues like Dokdo appear it revives old wounds and fresh rivalries. These feelings are widespread and I have more than once been stopped by locals who feel compelled to tell me "Dokdo is Korean!" I can only imagine the indignation should I attempt to assert otherwise.
Even still, I do not feel like I need to take a side on the Dokdo issue. Personally it doesn't matter to me who claims to "own" a couple rocks in the East Sea.
(To be perfectly frank its a little silly to have anyone get too bent out of shape over territory because we're all sharing the same planet whether we like it or not. Eventually mankind is going to have to realize we're all in this together and that we need to at least begrudgingly cooperate with one another in order to continue with civilization. However, this is no place to pontificate about my notions of global citizenship and other such fantasies)
I don't identify with Korean national pride any more than I do American, or British, or Canadian. I've always found it difficult to be too emotionally attached to such identities. However, as much as I may criticize, jest, and jab at the Dokdo issue, I find this trip has given me a new basis to empathize with the Korean opinion. That empathy I hope will foster a deeper respect for the Korean people and how they see themselves, which is what I had hoped to discover on this trip (and get four days off work).
Meanwhile... back at the narrative:
On Ulleungdo we were informed that we were short on time. So rather than eating lunch in a restaurant we were to have kimbab by the other dock where we would ride to Samcheok.
(Kimbab: is the Korean take on Sushi rolls. I've only had it a few times and found it very disappointing. This is of course because I thought it would be like sushi, it's not. Sushi is meaty and savory and wonderful. Kimbab.... is ok. Kimbab is often made with processed cheese and ham (or spam) in it. However, I have had Kimbab made with sushi... that's also just ok....)
As much as I dislike kimbap, it is a great thing to have on the run while in Korea. We ate and hopped on another boat for Samcheok. Again, we dozed as the ship bobbed along back to mainland Korea. After arriving we stopped at the Samcheok lion Museum, which features a number of Samcheok's famous lion statues.
About the Lions: According to legend, the Silla general who conquered Ulleungdo in the 6th century AD did so by fooling the residents of Ulleungdo with wooden lions. The pamphlets I read about the subject say that Silla realized that Ulleungdo was inhabited by fierce fighters, but that "...they were rather stupid." So rather than attacking Ulleungdo, he filled his ship with lions and threatened to turn them loose on the inhabitants. Ulleungdo surrendered rather than face the wooden lions. These lions (again according to local legend) jumped of the ship and became the lion rock on Ulleungdo. This rock I did not get a picture of (the van was moving too fast), in all honesty I couldn't see how it was supposed to be a lion but I'm not about to argue with legendary transmutating lion statues that become rocks. I suppose if you can go from wood to stone then you can choose to not look anything like a lion.... again with the digressing!
The lion museum if full of local artisan works in wood, stone, and glass. Many of them are lions, others are simply items commemorating local life. Consequentially the museum has a fantastic view of the shore....
Thursday in Samcheok was our last evening. We again spent it enjoying the company of our new found friends. We stayed up late and rose early to breakfast and to reflect on our experiences. Everyone managed to share a bit of something about the trip, to say thanks to the trip leaders from the ISABU association and have their goodbyes with each other. Like so many teacher events I've been to on Korea, goodbyes were accompanied with a flurry of information being exchanged. A facebook name here, a phone number there, emails, etc. Each offered and given in the hope of another meeting with a new face, who in spite of the short notice has already made for a good friend.
Dokdo 2012 is certainly one of many unexpected journeys I am sure to take while I am in Korea. A once in a lifetime time chance to see a rare piece of earth. The place may mean little to me, but the journey... now that is a joy I would not spare for any sight.
Thursday we woke early for our ship to Dokdo, originally we were supposed to leave at 4:30am, thank god that was changed to 7am. We boarded a small ship with a massive amount of elderly Koreans to sail two hours to see this sight.
I was rather groggy when I awoke to the sound of dry heaving from the seats across the aisle from me. I noted that the playlist on my ipod had finished, hence the unwelcome noise. However, I peered out the blue tinted window to see a shadow in the distance. I tapped awake the friends sitting around me and informed in the most eloquent way, "hey... we're here."
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| Nope! That's not the Loch Ness Monster, it's just Dokdo! |
My excitement mounted as I watched the island appear in and out of view as the boat veered port to starboard. Soon the ship made it's approach to the island, with my side being favored. I happily snapped some photos as we approached from my seat. Consequentially, half of the ship wanted to snap photos from my vantage as well. So I spent the next thirty minutes politely enduring various elders leaning over me with their camera phones trying to snap pics while climbing over each other to get to the deck.
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| I'M ON A BOAT! |
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| It's Dokdo! |
For those of you wishing, waiting, wanting for some climactic realization of why this island appears to be such a big deal. BE DISAPPOINTED! Dokdo, is actually not particularly impressive in it of itself. It is more or less two giant rocks in the middle of the East Sea. There are no shores and the cliff faces are ridiculously unforgiving. Throughout the trip there was talk of Dokdo becoming a South Korean naval base. However, this bold blogger may go so far as to say that sounds largely impractical. Where would you put anything? Unless you wanted to carve a base into the rocks themselves in the fashion of some James Bond style villain making a seaside hideout.... actually that sounds kinda awesome.... but I digress
The docks to Dokdo are difficult to get to and in the end we were unable to disembark. The seas were too rough to dock on the island so the ship pulled back from the shoreline (or cliffline as it were) and we were allowed on deck to circle the island for pictures.
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| Me and fellow Hongcheonite Luke, squinting with the best of them.... oh and that's Dokdo in the background |
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| Thinking of putting a vacation home here? Me neither |
The ship made a single pass of Dokdo, then the passengers were shuffled back inside to make the voyage back to Ulleungdo. I was sad to leave behind the sunlight and sea air. I had been hoping to enjoy the sailing of my journey in the open air and light. Alas, it was too dangerous to allow passengers outside while the ship was making its journey. The ride back was even worse than before and I enjoyed walking about as the ship slammed over wakes and waves. Again, I was happy as can be, however many of my fellow passengers did not share my sentiments. I soon returned to my seat and dozed a bit during the ride back to Ulleungdo.
I couldn't help but reflect on the ride back about the island of Dokdo. For such a small, and seemingly insignificant place, it plays an enormous role in the Korean imagination. I looked around at a ship full of Koreans who had braved the rough sea, just to see this place, and realized that I should have more empathy in regards to the Dokdo issue. I suppose Dokdo (much like the East Sea/Sea of Japan issue) has to do with Koreans asserting their identity. Korea is a relatively small nation, housed between the more well known and respected nations of China and Japan. Throughout history they've struggled to assert themselves as independent politically, socially, and culturally.
The Dokdo issue and the animosity is raises has strong emotional ties to the suffering of the Korean people under Japanese colonization around the time of the Second World War. That suffering is most certainly not forgotte. When issues like Dokdo appear it revives old wounds and fresh rivalries. These feelings are widespread and I have more than once been stopped by locals who feel compelled to tell me "Dokdo is Korean!" I can only imagine the indignation should I attempt to assert otherwise.
Even still, I do not feel like I need to take a side on the Dokdo issue. Personally it doesn't matter to me who claims to "own" a couple rocks in the East Sea.
(To be perfectly frank its a little silly to have anyone get too bent out of shape over territory because we're all sharing the same planet whether we like it or not. Eventually mankind is going to have to realize we're all in this together and that we need to at least begrudgingly cooperate with one another in order to continue with civilization. However, this is no place to pontificate about my notions of global citizenship and other such fantasies)
I don't identify with Korean national pride any more than I do American, or British, or Canadian. I've always found it difficult to be too emotionally attached to such identities. However, as much as I may criticize, jest, and jab at the Dokdo issue, I find this trip has given me a new basis to empathize with the Korean opinion. That empathy I hope will foster a deeper respect for the Korean people and how they see themselves, which is what I had hoped to discover on this trip (and get four days off work).
Meanwhile... back at the narrative:
On Ulleungdo we were informed that we were short on time. So rather than eating lunch in a restaurant we were to have kimbab by the other dock where we would ride to Samcheok.
(Kimbab: is the Korean take on Sushi rolls. I've only had it a few times and found it very disappointing. This is of course because I thought it would be like sushi, it's not. Sushi is meaty and savory and wonderful. Kimbab.... is ok. Kimbab is often made with processed cheese and ham (or spam) in it. However, I have had Kimbab made with sushi... that's also just ok....)
| an example of kimbap |
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| Samcheok Lion Museum |
The lion museum if full of local artisan works in wood, stone, and glass. Many of them are lions, others are simply items commemorating local life. Consequentially the museum has a fantastic view of the shore....
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| Watch out! Wooden lions still bite! |
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| That's what you get for not listening to me Kevin... Poor Kevin..... |
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| Korean Sunsets.... Enough said |
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| The East Sea as seen from the Museum |
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| I found an incredibly comfortable rock and couldn't resist stopping for a good think! |
Dokdo 2012 is certainly one of many unexpected journeys I am sure to take while I am in Korea. A once in a lifetime time chance to see a rare piece of earth. The place may mean little to me, but the journey... now that is a joy I would not spare for any sight.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Adventures in politically contested territory....
Last week was my first trip to politically contested land....
NO! I do not mean the DMZ or North Korea, those I have yet to do. No this last week I participated in an expedition to an island in the East Sea that is claimed by both Korea and Japan. The island is known to Koreans as "Dokdo," the Japanese call it "Dakeshima." Both nations claim this speck of land to be theirs, and for such a miniscule amount of earth, it is HUGE deal to the people of Korea. It is such a hot button issue to Koreans, that even mentioning it can lead to animated tirades about the ancient rights of Korea to Dokdo and the malevolence of the Japanese.
This subject is such an important issue to Koreans that some historical societies in Korea find it their duty to inform people about it. This happens to include foreigners like myself, as well as exchange students in Korean universities. The expedition I participated in was sponsored by a group known as the Isabu Association, a group who focus on Korea's ancient claims to the islands of Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Their belief in this issue is so strong that they not only offered to coordinate this trip, they paid for all the participants! This magnanimous offer was much too good to pass up in this blogger's opinion. Though he suspected (and was often warned) that this association was more than a little biased on the subject. Not only that, but previous groups had been photographed, filmed, and quoted for the purposes of drawing attention (and asserting) international approval for Korea's stance of this issue. Though I suspected my participation in this trip could lend my face and words towards propaganda, I smothered my pride in rationalities. Most who know me know that I am more or less apolitical and that I do not participate in my home nation's political process. So when I considered the notion of my pride and dignity being sacrificed for propaganda I though long and hard. I concluded:
"Meh..."
To be perfectly frank, I couldn't imagine this trip to force me to do anything any more humiliating than things I had already done at high school pep rallies. Though nationalistic pride is on a slightly grander and more intimate scale of feeling than school pride, I find that I am equally aloof to both phenomena. So I filled out the application, pursued the issue relentlessly and joined three of my fellow Hongcheon residents on the journey to Dokdo. After all, who really is going to pass up a free trip (and four days off of school) simply on a matter of principle? (Yes, in this regard, my standards are that low). However, in spite of all the fears and warnings, I was pleasantly surprised by how little we were pushed to pose for pictures and make statements for the organization. Though much of the information presented to us by various museums and historical societies had a blatant bias, all of the participants I spoke to during the trip recognized the angle of information. More than once we were able to stop and share a laugh about it.
But enough on that, the trip:
The trip lasted from Tuesday to Friday, taking me from my home in Hongcheon to the coastal city Samcheok, and the Islands of Ulleungdo, and Dokdo.
Tuesday brought together all of the participants at the Samcheok City Municipal Museum, where we met one another and listened to a number of lectures on the subject of Dokdo. Though I am one who finds most lectures stimulating, I was more bemused than intrigued. Not by the subject, but by the fact that no one in the Isabu Association speaks English (nevermind that 85% of the participants present spoke ONLY English). So during the entire trip, all information was channeled through my fellow Hongcheon EPIK teacher, Fred. Fred, bless his beautiful heart, has participated in this trip before and was more or less roped into translating for the entire journey. The curse of being bilingual is being constantly sought for such tasks. However, Fred took to this work spectacularly well and managed to communicate between the English speakers and the Koreans leading our trip. If I sound like I'm praising the man, I am, he's a great guy. I ended up spending a decent amount of time with Fred and the other Hongcheon kids, they are FANTASTIC fun!
Tuesday night was spent at a hotel in Samcheok.
Wednesday met us bright and excruciatingly early (5am). From there we climbed aboard the local ferry for Ulleungdo and crossed the East Sea (a 5 hour trip). Doped up on seasick meds we more or less moped about the ship, serenaded by the sound of vomiting passengers. I unfortunately did not sleep much on this ride. I did however, discover the joy of wandering about a bouncing boat while groggy on medication. I was more than once found giggling while haphazardly stumbling up and down the ship. I suppose seasick medication is the cheapest drunk feeling I've ever encountered (the potions are about 1,000 won a bottle, that's less than $1)
We landed Ulleungdo to discover it was too late to see Dokdo, so we were loaded into buses after lunch and raced around the island. Sadly it was often too fast to take pictures of incredible cliff faces and amazing seascapes. However, there were a few spots we were allowed to take pictures. I was more amused by climbing over rocks and acting like a kid. I don't think I'll ever be over my affinity for jungle gyms.....
Though we were able to see a great deal of Ulleungdo on Wednesday, we were not able to spend much time in any one spot. The longest we were anywhere was 10 minutes! I found this to be irritating, but it encouraged me to run and play as much as I could every time we stopped. The evening came crashing down on us sooner than we expected and after dinner we retreated to a local pension (resort like group of cottages on the mountainside). We were travel weary and sore from being cramped inside Korean buses (which do not have any notion of leg room! This is a problem). However, in spite of our long day and the promise of a longer one in the morning, I was pleased to find many of my fellow adventurers mingling in the cold evening air. We stayed up late into the night, talking, playing games, and enjoying modest amounts of the local brew: pumpkin mackoli.
NO! I do not mean the DMZ or North Korea, those I have yet to do. No this last week I participated in an expedition to an island in the East Sea that is claimed by both Korea and Japan. The island is known to Koreans as "Dokdo," the Japanese call it "Dakeshima." Both nations claim this speck of land to be theirs, and for such a miniscule amount of earth, it is HUGE deal to the people of Korea. It is such a hot button issue to Koreans, that even mentioning it can lead to animated tirades about the ancient rights of Korea to Dokdo and the malevolence of the Japanese.
This subject is such an important issue to Koreans that some historical societies in Korea find it their duty to inform people about it. This happens to include foreigners like myself, as well as exchange students in Korean universities. The expedition I participated in was sponsored by a group known as the Isabu Association, a group who focus on Korea's ancient claims to the islands of Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Their belief in this issue is so strong that they not only offered to coordinate this trip, they paid for all the participants! This magnanimous offer was much too good to pass up in this blogger's opinion. Though he suspected (and was often warned) that this association was more than a little biased on the subject. Not only that, but previous groups had been photographed, filmed, and quoted for the purposes of drawing attention (and asserting) international approval for Korea's stance of this issue. Though I suspected my participation in this trip could lend my face and words towards propaganda, I smothered my pride in rationalities. Most who know me know that I am more or less apolitical and that I do not participate in my home nation's political process. So when I considered the notion of my pride and dignity being sacrificed for propaganda I though long and hard. I concluded:
"Meh..."
To be perfectly frank, I couldn't imagine this trip to force me to do anything any more humiliating than things I had already done at high school pep rallies. Though nationalistic pride is on a slightly grander and more intimate scale of feeling than school pride, I find that I am equally aloof to both phenomena. So I filled out the application, pursued the issue relentlessly and joined three of my fellow Hongcheon residents on the journey to Dokdo. After all, who really is going to pass up a free trip (and four days off of school) simply on a matter of principle? (Yes, in this regard, my standards are that low). However, in spite of all the fears and warnings, I was pleasantly surprised by how little we were pushed to pose for pictures and make statements for the organization. Though much of the information presented to us by various museums and historical societies had a blatant bias, all of the participants I spoke to during the trip recognized the angle of information. More than once we were able to stop and share a laugh about it.
But enough on that, the trip:
The trip lasted from Tuesday to Friday, taking me from my home in Hongcheon to the coastal city Samcheok, and the Islands of Ulleungdo, and Dokdo.
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| Samcheok Museum |
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| Apparently people in these parts take their "Tug-o-war" VERY seriously |
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| A display in the Museum |
Tuesday night was spent at a hotel in Samcheok.
Wednesday met us bright and excruciatingly early (5am). From there we climbed aboard the local ferry for Ulleungdo and crossed the East Sea (a 5 hour trip). Doped up on seasick meds we more or less moped about the ship, serenaded by the sound of vomiting passengers. I unfortunately did not sleep much on this ride. I did however, discover the joy of wandering about a bouncing boat while groggy on medication. I was more than once found giggling while haphazardly stumbling up and down the ship. I suppose seasick medication is the cheapest drunk feeling I've ever encountered (the potions are about 1,000 won a bottle, that's less than $1)
We landed Ulleungdo to discover it was too late to see Dokdo, so we were loaded into buses after lunch and raced around the island. Sadly it was often too fast to take pictures of incredible cliff faces and amazing seascapes. However, there were a few spots we were allowed to take pictures. I was more amused by climbing over rocks and acting like a kid. I don't think I'll ever be over my affinity for jungle gyms.....
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| My buddy Kevin on the mountainside |
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| Fellow adventurers in front of Turtle Rock, note the Turtle diving face first into the sea just over Olivia's left shoulder. |
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| Yep this is me, being awesome...on a rock. |
Though we were able to see a great deal of Ulleungdo on Wednesday, we were not able to spend much time in any one spot. The longest we were anywhere was 10 minutes! I found this to be irritating, but it encouraged me to run and play as much as I could every time we stopped. The evening came crashing down on us sooner than we expected and after dinner we retreated to a local pension (resort like group of cottages on the mountainside). We were travel weary and sore from being cramped inside Korean buses (which do not have any notion of leg room! This is a problem). However, in spite of our long day and the promise of a longer one in the morning, I was pleased to find many of my fellow adventurers mingling in the cold evening air. We stayed up late into the night, talking, playing games, and enjoying modest amounts of the local brew: pumpkin mackoli.
(Mackoli is a common Korean rice wine (that can be bought at any convenience store), however, Ulleugndo is the only place you can find Pumpkin Mackoli.)
Though we all enjoyed imbibing this unique brew, I must confess that it tastes more or less like ordinary Mackoli. However, as with all alcohol, the joy of the drinking is as much based on the quality of the company as the quality of the alcohol being consumed. Thankfully, the friends I found on this trip were as many I've found in Korea, fantastic. Though we did not make a late night of it on Wednesday, we did beat back the cold with many cups of Mackoli and a lot of laughs.
Thursday led us to Dokdo, but more on that later. I apparently I have to go teach now!
-Mg out
Friday, October 19, 2012
Teacher Training
This time last week I was not where I am now (now as in at Samseang Elementary School) I was attending a teacher training session for the EPIK teachers in Gangwon-do. Training in Korea is an enriching experience, though not necessarily in the professional sense. More on that in a moment:
The training was Thursday and Friday, taking place in Yanyang, a town just down the coast from Sokcho. These are both towns on the eastern coastline and our training complex had a gorgeous view overlooking the East Sea
(EAST Sea mind you, NOT the Sea of Japan! Apparently Koreans get very touchy in the subject of names and ownership in various geographical features. International water be damned!). A gorgeous facility operated by the KoRail company, it was lent to the Gangwon Provincial Office of Education and its counterparts to host this event.
I embarked on the hour long drive to Yangyang in the company of my main co-teacher, Mr. Shin. Mr. Shin is a wonderful man, a kind, soft spoken, smiling sort of fellow. However, Mr. Shin's English ability is very limited, it makes conversation quite difficult. But we manage to communicate somewhat. Mr. Shin was our driver for this trip, and has had several other seats in his car he was kind enough to provie two other EPIK teachers rides to Yangyang. My two foriegn friends were fellow rookie EPIK teacher Luke, and veteran teacher Jen. This was our first "professional" interaction, as we often spent most of our time together after school hours enjoying copius amounts of alcohol
(medicinal quantities I assure you gentle reader, it is often seen as an essential component of surviving one's teaching experience).
In any case, we enjoyed the long ride to Yangyang with some conversation and a bit of admiring the scenery. I freely admit that I also dozed off for a while (something about riding in cars in Korea knocks me out). Even still the drive took us through Soraksan National Park, one of the largest most impressive mountain ranges in South Korea. It's breathtaking to see the sheer clifs and stony peaks of Soraksan, and somehow they managed to carve a high way right through this rugged territory. I recall looking at the high mountains and steep vallies wondering to myself, "how on earth did people get from place to place 50, 60, 100 years ago?"
Some photos from a mountain side on the road to Soraksan
We arrived in Yangyang in the early afternoon, beginning our teacher training shortly afterwards. The training was composed of lectures, demonstrations, and small group activities. In all honesty, there were only a few training events during the afternoon and following morning. A good amount of time was spent socializing and catching up with friends from orientation. I also had the pleasure of meeting a host of few faces, teachers who I had not met at orientation, teachers who had arrived in years before, and a number of Korean teachers who spoke superb English.
As a foriegner in a rural area in Korea, I have acquired a certain hunger for a decent conversation. More importantly a hunger for interesting conversation. This event was just the palce for me to gorge myself on talk, and revel in the thrill of meeting new people. I freely admit it is very difficult meeting people in Korea. Not that it is hard to introduce oneself, but that one meets so many people so quickly its hard to keep people straight. Even if you manage to keep names with faces it is another task entirely to keep in touch. In spite of this difficulty I was able to enjoy the time off teaching to meet greet and network with my fellow teachers. In this I feel I got the most reward for my training. Foreign teachers in South Korea are always interesting. Hailing from all corners of the English speaking world, I am constantly surprised by new and curious characters in this profession.
I was able to snap a handful of pictures from the sea. Absolutely gorgeous!
The training was Thursday and Friday, taking place in Yanyang, a town just down the coast from Sokcho. These are both towns on the eastern coastline and our training complex had a gorgeous view overlooking the East Sea
(EAST Sea mind you, NOT the Sea of Japan! Apparently Koreans get very touchy in the subject of names and ownership in various geographical features. International water be damned!). A gorgeous facility operated by the KoRail company, it was lent to the Gangwon Provincial Office of Education and its counterparts to host this event.
I embarked on the hour long drive to Yangyang in the company of my main co-teacher, Mr. Shin. Mr. Shin is a wonderful man, a kind, soft spoken, smiling sort of fellow. However, Mr. Shin's English ability is very limited, it makes conversation quite difficult. But we manage to communicate somewhat. Mr. Shin was our driver for this trip, and has had several other seats in his car he was kind enough to provie two other EPIK teachers rides to Yangyang. My two foriegn friends were fellow rookie EPIK teacher Luke, and veteran teacher Jen. This was our first "professional" interaction, as we often spent most of our time together after school hours enjoying copius amounts of alcohol
(medicinal quantities I assure you gentle reader, it is often seen as an essential component of surviving one's teaching experience).
In any case, we enjoyed the long ride to Yangyang with some conversation and a bit of admiring the scenery. I freely admit that I also dozed off for a while (something about riding in cars in Korea knocks me out). Even still the drive took us through Soraksan National Park, one of the largest most impressive mountain ranges in South Korea. It's breathtaking to see the sheer clifs and stony peaks of Soraksan, and somehow they managed to carve a high way right through this rugged territory. I recall looking at the high mountains and steep vallies wondering to myself, "how on earth did people get from place to place 50, 60, 100 years ago?"
I was able to snap a handful of pictures from the sea. Absolutely gorgeous!
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| The KoRail training center |
Sunday, October 14, 2012
A long overdue bit of view
At long last I have done the one thing I set out to do upon learning I was to be teaching in Gangwon-do. I went hiking. For the first time since I've arrive in Korea I have managed to take the time out of one of my few free days to enjoy the many mountains that surround my little town of Hongcheon. Accompanied by my fellow EPIK Teacher, Luke (another Hongcheon resident), we set off to climb a mountain not far from my little apartment.
Though it did not take long for the two of us to reach one of the several summits that one can find on the local paths, I cannot say we did so without a considerable amount of huffing and puffing. Korean trails and mountains are surprisingly steep. Not only that, but the paths were made of rather loose gravel that did not bother me so much on the climb up... but made the climb down somewhat tricky. All in all, it was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon, and I expect to be significantly sore from it tomorrow. Even still I managed to snap some pictures from the mountaintop of my little town. Pictures which I hope to share here, at long last....
The best panorama I can muster from the mountaintop, and for those who are interested....
Hongcheon is not a big city by any standard. It's stretched out along the river that runs through town, and on the last sleepy Sunday I had in Hongcheon I walked along most of the river paths in town in a couple of hours. Even still, I've been told Hongcheon is home to about 80,000 residents. It certainly isn't a bustling Korean metropolis, but for the next year it's home.
On the hike up, Luke and I managed to share plenty of stories about things in Korea that "just don't make any sense." Korea is certainly a quirky country, at least in the eyes of this foreigner. I'm sure I'll have countless stories of odd events and curious customs before I leave here, and though it can be frustrating at times it's never not been a rewarding experience. I imagine it will continue to be so....
Though it did not take long for the two of us to reach one of the several summits that one can find on the local paths, I cannot say we did so without a considerable amount of huffing and puffing. Korean trails and mountains are surprisingly steep. Not only that, but the paths were made of rather loose gravel that did not bother me so much on the climb up... but made the climb down somewhat tricky. All in all, it was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon, and I expect to be significantly sore from it tomorrow. Even still I managed to snap some pictures from the mountaintop of my little town. Pictures which I hope to share here, at long last....
The best panorama I can muster from the mountaintop, and for those who are interested....
On the hike up, Luke and I managed to share plenty of stories about things in Korea that "just don't make any sense." Korea is certainly a quirky country, at least in the eyes of this foreigner. I'm sure I'll have countless stories of odd events and curious customs before I leave here, and though it can be frustrating at times it's never not been a rewarding experience. I imagine it will continue to be so....
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