It was pouring rain the day I got here, it's pouring rain the day I'm leaving. Not that I believe that's a metaphor for anything, because I don't. I've spent the past 2 days cleaning my apartment from top to bottom. It was left filthy for me when I moved in, so I vowed to leave it sparkling clean when I moved out. Who knew how dirty windowpanes could get?! WOW. It was like thick, black tar. I was supposed to head to the beach city of Busan this weekend (the city I'm flying out of), but it was so rainy I decided to wake up WAY too early tomorrow so I can make my flight on time. (4:30am).
And now... actually, I have to cut this short. Time has escaped me and it's now been 3 hours since I started writing! Maybe I can finish during my layover in Tokyo. I love you all! Speak to you next on American soil!
xxo
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
i've totally slacked
And I apologize. Lots of developments have been happening, including that I am leaving Korea after this week. It was a hard decision, but it's for the best. I promise a long, juicy full-on Korean blog before I leave. I've just literally not had any time! And now I suddenly have to pack for America. And I'm moving to Madison, WI with Greg in August.
I promise, I will update lots. I have completely neglected the internet as of late.
Please forgive me!
I promise, I will update lots. I have completely neglected the internet as of late.
Please forgive me!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
gross.
It thunderstormed last night in Daegu for I'm pretty sure the first time since I've been here. I had my window open, because who doesn't love the sound of a thunderstorm. 20 minutes later, after the stormed had died down and I kept the window open simply for the breeze, I heard something. At first it sounded like someone pouring liquid out onto the street. But I quickly realized it was much more disgusting than that when I heard a clearly audible fart and some other sounds I'll leave to the imagination. Yes, I am pretty sure a human was not only peeing right outside my window (luckily I'm on the 2nd floor) but also defecating. I have now truly seen (heard) it all.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
a great weekend
Everyone knows the World Cup started this weekend. South Korea played Greece yesterday, and up until last night I didn't have a clue how big a deal it is for ANY team to make it to the World Cup. But apparently it's a huge deal :)
I went to Duryu Park in Daegu to watch the game on a giant outdoor screen with some friends of mine. I honestly thought it'd be a small smattering of people, on blankets, watching the game. I had no idea that thousands of Korean fanatics would be littering the entire open area, smashed together, wearing light-up devil horns (yes I bought some of my own to support my 'local' team...) 3 of us weaseled our way into a tiny patch of grass, literally about 3' x 1', careful not to sit on any of the Koreans all around us. After a few moments of uncertainty about whether or not we'd get yelled at for sitting there, we were immediately at ease when the girl behind us invited us to share her mat with her and her boyfriend. Every single person watching this game outside, Korea being the complete underdogs against Greece, was a SUPERFAN. It was the most fun sporting event I have ever been to in my entire life. I'm not even a follower of soccer, but being there, in that atmosphere with cheering, chanting Koreans made me hope so badly that they would win. They scored 2 goals, both of which were amazing. After each goal was scored the entire crowd got to their feet, hugged their neighbor, did high-5s everywhere, and clanked their bottles of beer and soju together in jubilation. It was truly a unique experience that I am very thankful I got to be a part of. (Korea won, 2-0 against Greece... and let me tell you, Greece was playing DIRTY!)
I really wanted to watch the England/ America game also, but being on the other side of the world, it wasn't showing here until 3:30am! Needless to say I definitely did not stay up for it, and had to hear today how that game panned out.
After the game we all got dinner together downtown, where the streets were just lined with people celebrating EVERYWHERE. Everyone was yelling "De han min guk" which is the long version of 'Hanguk' (Korea). So we were yelling it down the streets too, even though we're obviously not Korean! It was such a cool experience. Everyone was so happy and united, as sports commonly brings people together, if only for a few weeks every 4 years!
After the game and dinner downtown I took a cab home. Everything was normal, just a regular old cab ride home, until I was less than a block away from my apartment. I'm about to tell the cab driver to stop so I can get out, but just before I can I see a man lying literally in the MIDDLE of the street. I yelled "YOGI-YO!" (Here, please) This man needs help!!!! I won't lie, I thought he was dead. The cab driver looked around nervously, took my money quickly out of my hand (not even the full amount of the fare, he just wanted to get out of there, and FAST). I ran out of the cab and over to the man, whom I was uncertain as to whether he was alive or dead. After yelling at him a few times, and trying to shake him awake, I noticed he was actually breathing. For some reason I have a fear that I am going to come across a dead body one day, I have no idea why. But I thought this was that day. After a few minutes a man came by on a scooter. I flagged him down, and it was evident what I needed help with. After some pantomiming back and forth, we agreed the best thing to do first would be to extract him from the center of the road. I got the man's feet, and scooter man grabbed him under the arms. He wasn't heavy, but it was extremely awkward to lift him, and I simply didn't have the strength to even get him up on the curb onto the sidewalk. So we ended up basically dragging him to the side of the road, next to the curb, between cars. We patted his pockets looking for a cell phone so we could call someone, but his phone had a password lock on it, so we couldn't use it. Scooter man decided he would call the police and let them deal with it, and I wasn't about to just leave this man there with no one to help him, so I stuck around. Eventually the cops showed up, and they sat the poor man up, and pounded on his back until he indicated that he is, in fact, alive. The cops were just making jokes about it, saying he drank too much soju (Korean rice wine). He could have had a concussion (from falling in the street) or alcohol poisoning! Or both! Who knows, but no one took it seriously but me, and they just let him stumble away after he finally came to. Then the cops got back into their car, waved goodbye to me, and went on their way. I was appalled by the acceptance of this severe public intoxication. If I didn't come home right when I did, any car could have run him over. It was scary and disturbing :(
Today I took part in a scavenger hunt, which definitely deserves its own blog. I want to get a copy of the ridiculous list of 100 tasks we had to complete so everyone can get a full understanding of a scavenger hunt in Korea. This weekend, with the exception of the scariness of last night's possible dead man, was an extremely fun one.
And just cutting to the chase, my team won the scavenger hunt :) (which means we won a free night in a suite in the nicest hotel in Daegu!) YAY! I promise to post soon full details of the hunt. But right now I'm headed to bed!
I went to Duryu Park in Daegu to watch the game on a giant outdoor screen with some friends of mine. I honestly thought it'd be a small smattering of people, on blankets, watching the game. I had no idea that thousands of Korean fanatics would be littering the entire open area, smashed together, wearing light-up devil horns (yes I bought some of my own to support my 'local' team...) 3 of us weaseled our way into a tiny patch of grass, literally about 3' x 1', careful not to sit on any of the Koreans all around us. After a few moments of uncertainty about whether or not we'd get yelled at for sitting there, we were immediately at ease when the girl behind us invited us to share her mat with her and her boyfriend. Every single person watching this game outside, Korea being the complete underdogs against Greece, was a SUPERFAN. It was the most fun sporting event I have ever been to in my entire life. I'm not even a follower of soccer, but being there, in that atmosphere with cheering, chanting Koreans made me hope so badly that they would win. They scored 2 goals, both of which were amazing. After each goal was scored the entire crowd got to their feet, hugged their neighbor, did high-5s everywhere, and clanked their bottles of beer and soju together in jubilation. It was truly a unique experience that I am very thankful I got to be a part of. (Korea won, 2-0 against Greece... and let me tell you, Greece was playing DIRTY!)
I really wanted to watch the England/ America game also, but being on the other side of the world, it wasn't showing here until 3:30am! Needless to say I definitely did not stay up for it, and had to hear today how that game panned out.
After the game we all got dinner together downtown, where the streets were just lined with people celebrating EVERYWHERE. Everyone was yelling "De han min guk" which is the long version of 'Hanguk' (Korea). So we were yelling it down the streets too, even though we're obviously not Korean! It was such a cool experience. Everyone was so happy and united, as sports commonly brings people together, if only for a few weeks every 4 years!
After the game and dinner downtown I took a cab home. Everything was normal, just a regular old cab ride home, until I was less than a block away from my apartment. I'm about to tell the cab driver to stop so I can get out, but just before I can I see a man lying literally in the MIDDLE of the street. I yelled "YOGI-YO!" (Here, please) This man needs help!!!! I won't lie, I thought he was dead. The cab driver looked around nervously, took my money quickly out of my hand (not even the full amount of the fare, he just wanted to get out of there, and FAST). I ran out of the cab and over to the man, whom I was uncertain as to whether he was alive or dead. After yelling at him a few times, and trying to shake him awake, I noticed he was actually breathing. For some reason I have a fear that I am going to come across a dead body one day, I have no idea why. But I thought this was that day. After a few minutes a man came by on a scooter. I flagged him down, and it was evident what I needed help with. After some pantomiming back and forth, we agreed the best thing to do first would be to extract him from the center of the road. I got the man's feet, and scooter man grabbed him under the arms. He wasn't heavy, but it was extremely awkward to lift him, and I simply didn't have the strength to even get him up on the curb onto the sidewalk. So we ended up basically dragging him to the side of the road, next to the curb, between cars. We patted his pockets looking for a cell phone so we could call someone, but his phone had a password lock on it, so we couldn't use it. Scooter man decided he would call the police and let them deal with it, and I wasn't about to just leave this man there with no one to help him, so I stuck around. Eventually the cops showed up, and they sat the poor man up, and pounded on his back until he indicated that he is, in fact, alive. The cops were just making jokes about it, saying he drank too much soju (Korean rice wine). He could have had a concussion (from falling in the street) or alcohol poisoning! Or both! Who knows, but no one took it seriously but me, and they just let him stumble away after he finally came to. Then the cops got back into their car, waved goodbye to me, and went on their way. I was appalled by the acceptance of this severe public intoxication. If I didn't come home right when I did, any car could have run him over. It was scary and disturbing :(
Today I took part in a scavenger hunt, which definitely deserves its own blog. I want to get a copy of the ridiculous list of 100 tasks we had to complete so everyone can get a full understanding of a scavenger hunt in Korea. This weekend, with the exception of the scariness of last night's possible dead man, was an extremely fun one.
And just cutting to the chase, my team won the scavenger hunt :) (which means we won a free night in a suite in the nicest hotel in Daegu!) YAY! I promise to post soon full details of the hunt. But right now I'm headed to bed!
Monday, May 31, 2010
road trip to Wando, etc
Just gonna get this out there first thing- I apologize there are no photos with this post. My computer will literally blow up if I add anything else to it. So until I can purchase an external hard drive, I can't post new pics.
Last weekend we had a Friday off due to it being Buddha's Birthday, so 6 of us decided we'd be the first foreigners in Korea to hire a van and create a roadtrip of our own (nearly every ferry/ train/ plane we looked into booking was unavaible, weeks even months before). Our van got dropped off in our neighborhood, and we immediately stocked up on waterguns (and water) at Homeplus (again- like a Walmart). The original plan was that we'd all take turns driving, as we knew we'd be leaving Daegu at around midnight to avoid traffic. Well, it became apparent almost instantly that the 2 boys would take the helm up front, and the girls would stay in the back. I rode backseat the entire time. Fine be me- I kind of hate being in charge on group outings. So I was content to let the masses make the driving decisions. There was a mini tray-table in the back seat, so Charlotte and I set it up, me allowing it to hold my midnight coffee. Not 20 minutes into the trip we broke it. OK- I broke it. For the duration of the weekend we rigged it up with a garbage bag so it wouldn't bash us in the shins. (Upon returning to Daegu I ghetto-rigged it back up with some superglue, for appearance-sake when the man we rented it from would do a cursory inspection).
Somehow once we got on the highway, we neglected to stop to pick up a ticket (like on American turnpikes- you collect a ticket, then pay once you exit the turnpike, based on how far you've driven). Anyway, stopping at what we though was the place to pick up a ticket, we were being ASKED for our ticket. Needless to say we didn't have one, and we had to slowly merge off to the left of the 8-lane ticket booths, make a "phonecall," then the problem was solved. Again- the guys took care of this, so I'm still not even sure how the problem was rectified. But it was funny being probably the only non-Koreans on the road- and we're the ones being "quarantined."
After driving all night, and every single person stayed awake the entire time (due mostly to playing question games such as "Would you rather have one giant nostril, or one eye?" and so on), we arrived at a weird man-made beach in Wando at sunrise. After a quick walk to the beach, we set up our tent and decided to pass out for a few hours. Our alarms were set for 11am, as not to waste too much of the day. Well, this was not problematic at all, as around 9am a bulldozer started digging (what I'm not sure) literally 20 feet from our tent, and a gaggle of visiting Koreans in giant sunhats and matching bright pink tee shirts stomped, laughed, and talked right by our tent. They were so close I think a few of them stepped on me. Not really... but they did totally wake us up.
Deciding that there was no way we could make this our campsite for a second night, we drove into the actual port city of Wando. It was a typical little town, and the people were incredibly friendly. Charlotte and I were enjoying sandwiches on a bench by the sea, when a middle-aged man walked up to us, presented us with gifts of some corn drink and some rice tea (?????) for seemingly no reason. Then he kept pointing at my sandwich, then to himself, then to the drinks he'd just given us, then back to the sandwich and himself again. Assuming that I was now supposed to give him a portion of my sandwich, I did. He ate it, chattering away in Korean the entire time, burped loudly in our faces (gratitude, I'm assuming) and walked away.
Then we checked out the ferry terminal because we wanted to just get on a boat. But this was not to happen. All of southern Korea had the same idea to board a ferry, so we got back in our 12-passenger van and just drove. We came to a beautiful beach that was once the site for a Korean film- the name is escaping me at this time- and it was GORGEOUS! We posed for pictures with cut-outs of famous Korean filmstars, played in the sand, and jumped off a pier into the water (though explicitly told we weren't allowed in the water). We all escaped with only minor injuries- the worst being some barnacle cuts from exiting the water. They left the movie set just as it was during filming, so none of the little huts were actually well-maintained or sanded down or anything, and it wasn't until after we'd climbed onto one for a photo-op that we'd all discovered we were covered in billions of little tiny splinters! It took awhile to get them all out. I can best compare it to the time I accidentally hit my elbow on a cactus I had in my windowsill.
Walking back to the van soaking wet, and being stared at like fools by everyone else, we decided to drive to our second campsite. We ate dinner by the sea and built the best campfire in the world. The entire world. Before the trip (literally minutes before) I popped into a hiking store and purchased a head torch- mostly for night peeing. I was so excited to have a lamp on my head (I've clearly never owned one) that I kept offering to light up anything and everything. "You guys need help? I've got a light!" Everyone but one of us had their own, so in the end I only ended up helping myself. The bonfire was so relaxing and so much fun. We were all exhausted, and by midnight we were in the tent, fast asleep. In the morning, we all heard severe rustling, wind, rain, etc. But I think we were too cold and tired to care or to do anything about it. Maybe a bit of denial that this day wouldn't turn out to be the sunny day we'd previously had? I'm not sure, but it was lousy weather. We had a quick breakfast in the tent (I've never eaten so much bread in my life as this weekend), and we just kind of drove north deciding it was useless to hang around the beach when we couldn't even enjoy being outside.
We ended up in a little dump of a town, in a pizza joint for 3+ hours because there was literally nothing else to do. Since we couldn't sleep in the tent due to the monsoon, we staked out a cheap hotel that had 2 large conjoining rooms, where we all passed out on the floor after watching about 37 episodes of the Simpsons. (Slept on the floor because there were no beds, just a cabinet full of bedding- that's Korea!) It was still downpouring in the morning. We drove north some more for a bit. Our aim this day, our last day, was to check out a green tea plantation, then maybe visit a traditional Korean village if we had time. The green tea plantation was gorgeous. Even though it was pouring rain and I was grumpy due to my leaky $1 poncho, it was still such a pleasure to visit. At the end of walking around it, we decided to warm up with some, well... TEA! I know we were probably extremely offensive in the faces we made, but I couldn't help it. The tea literally tasted like chicken fat.
After the plantation, we went to the traditional village. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't too keen on seeing either one, and before actually seeing them I was wondering why we were wasting our time. OH MY goodness. What a fool I was! The traditional village was amazing. It's not like in America where the history isn't very rich- and if you visit a historical site you get volunteer workers in period-dress, "churning butter" or "baking bread." No no no no no. In Korea, people still actually live in these villages, much like they would have 6 centuries ago when they were erected. The general rule is that if a gate is open, you're allowed to enter the home (at least the 'grounds'). If there is a branch or a post laying across the gate, you are not to enter. We saw a man standing outside of his "hut" and he looked overly eager to have us come closer, so we did. After snapping a few photos with him, grinning wildly, he gestured towards the front door of his home. He slid it open, and I swear I can't make this stuff up- a woman (who I assume was his mother- though she literally looked about 180) came crawling- not walking, not even hobbling- crawling into the doorway, showing us 3 teeth. Then she started chanting "DON! DON!" at us, which means money. Not knowing what else to do, I quickly snapped a photo right in her face, knowing I'd want it for future story-telling. She didn't like this. I think she might have even hissed after we all kind of quickly shuffled away. Her son was practically kicking her back inside, as if to say "I almost HAD them, Ma! You ruined it!"
We definitely got a good giggle over this for awhile. Then we just wandered around the village. I bought some original pottery for dirt cheap (it will most definitely make the journey back to America in my carry-on baggage). We saw an old prison, statues of beatings, and lots of history. From the brochure I picked up:
Within the fortress perimeter of 1,410m remain well-preserved Choson Dynasty government buildings, nine traditional residences designated as important folklore material, and other old houses, people residing in this folk village still carry on traditional custom and manners. With its relics and unique living heritage, Naganeupseong gives visitors a direct look at Korea's history and traditional ways of life, customs and manners, and folk events.
Population and households: 288 people in 120 households (82 within the fortress walls, 38 on the outside).
After traipsing around the village for a few hours, we were more than ready to drive back to Daegu. Making rounds and dropping everyone off and cleaning the van back to its original state, I finally walked in my door late Sunday night, nearly collapsing, but not before doing 2 loads of laundry because everything I took (including the comforter off my bed because I don't own a sleeping bag) smelled like dog. A hot shower and some light reading later, I definitely fell asleep tired and happy, calling the weekend and the roadtrip a definite success.
Last weekend we had a Friday off due to it being Buddha's Birthday, so 6 of us decided we'd be the first foreigners in Korea to hire a van and create a roadtrip of our own (nearly every ferry/ train/ plane we looked into booking was unavaible, weeks even months before). Our van got dropped off in our neighborhood, and we immediately stocked up on waterguns (and water) at Homeplus (again- like a Walmart). The original plan was that we'd all take turns driving, as we knew we'd be leaving Daegu at around midnight to avoid traffic. Well, it became apparent almost instantly that the 2 boys would take the helm up front, and the girls would stay in the back. I rode backseat the entire time. Fine be me- I kind of hate being in charge on group outings. So I was content to let the masses make the driving decisions. There was a mini tray-table in the back seat, so Charlotte and I set it up, me allowing it to hold my midnight coffee. Not 20 minutes into the trip we broke it. OK- I broke it. For the duration of the weekend we rigged it up with a garbage bag so it wouldn't bash us in the shins. (Upon returning to Daegu I ghetto-rigged it back up with some superglue, for appearance-sake when the man we rented it from would do a cursory inspection).
Somehow once we got on the highway, we neglected to stop to pick up a ticket (like on American turnpikes- you collect a ticket, then pay once you exit the turnpike, based on how far you've driven). Anyway, stopping at what we though was the place to pick up a ticket, we were being ASKED for our ticket. Needless to say we didn't have one, and we had to slowly merge off to the left of the 8-lane ticket booths, make a "phonecall," then the problem was solved. Again- the guys took care of this, so I'm still not even sure how the problem was rectified. But it was funny being probably the only non-Koreans on the road- and we're the ones being "quarantined."
After driving all night, and every single person stayed awake the entire time (due mostly to playing question games such as "Would you rather have one giant nostril, or one eye?" and so on), we arrived at a weird man-made beach in Wando at sunrise. After a quick walk to the beach, we set up our tent and decided to pass out for a few hours. Our alarms were set for 11am, as not to waste too much of the day. Well, this was not problematic at all, as around 9am a bulldozer started digging (what I'm not sure) literally 20 feet from our tent, and a gaggle of visiting Koreans in giant sunhats and matching bright pink tee shirts stomped, laughed, and talked right by our tent. They were so close I think a few of them stepped on me. Not really... but they did totally wake us up.
Deciding that there was no way we could make this our campsite for a second night, we drove into the actual port city of Wando. It was a typical little town, and the people were incredibly friendly. Charlotte and I were enjoying sandwiches on a bench by the sea, when a middle-aged man walked up to us, presented us with gifts of some corn drink and some rice tea (?????) for seemingly no reason. Then he kept pointing at my sandwich, then to himself, then to the drinks he'd just given us, then back to the sandwich and himself again. Assuming that I was now supposed to give him a portion of my sandwich, I did. He ate it, chattering away in Korean the entire time, burped loudly in our faces (gratitude, I'm assuming) and walked away.
Then we checked out the ferry terminal because we wanted to just get on a boat. But this was not to happen. All of southern Korea had the same idea to board a ferry, so we got back in our 12-passenger van and just drove. We came to a beautiful beach that was once the site for a Korean film- the name is escaping me at this time- and it was GORGEOUS! We posed for pictures with cut-outs of famous Korean filmstars, played in the sand, and jumped off a pier into the water (though explicitly told we weren't allowed in the water). We all escaped with only minor injuries- the worst being some barnacle cuts from exiting the water. They left the movie set just as it was during filming, so none of the little huts were actually well-maintained or sanded down or anything, and it wasn't until after we'd climbed onto one for a photo-op that we'd all discovered we were covered in billions of little tiny splinters! It took awhile to get them all out. I can best compare it to the time I accidentally hit my elbow on a cactus I had in my windowsill.
Walking back to the van soaking wet, and being stared at like fools by everyone else, we decided to drive to our second campsite. We ate dinner by the sea and built the best campfire in the world. The entire world. Before the trip (literally minutes before) I popped into a hiking store and purchased a head torch- mostly for night peeing. I was so excited to have a lamp on my head (I've clearly never owned one) that I kept offering to light up anything and everything. "You guys need help? I've got a light!" Everyone but one of us had their own, so in the end I only ended up helping myself. The bonfire was so relaxing and so much fun. We were all exhausted, and by midnight we were in the tent, fast asleep. In the morning, we all heard severe rustling, wind, rain, etc. But I think we were too cold and tired to care or to do anything about it. Maybe a bit of denial that this day wouldn't turn out to be the sunny day we'd previously had? I'm not sure, but it was lousy weather. We had a quick breakfast in the tent (I've never eaten so much bread in my life as this weekend), and we just kind of drove north deciding it was useless to hang around the beach when we couldn't even enjoy being outside.
We ended up in a little dump of a town, in a pizza joint for 3+ hours because there was literally nothing else to do. Since we couldn't sleep in the tent due to the monsoon, we staked out a cheap hotel that had 2 large conjoining rooms, where we all passed out on the floor after watching about 37 episodes of the Simpsons. (Slept on the floor because there were no beds, just a cabinet full of bedding- that's Korea!) It was still downpouring in the morning. We drove north some more for a bit. Our aim this day, our last day, was to check out a green tea plantation, then maybe visit a traditional Korean village if we had time. The green tea plantation was gorgeous. Even though it was pouring rain and I was grumpy due to my leaky $1 poncho, it was still such a pleasure to visit. At the end of walking around it, we decided to warm up with some, well... TEA! I know we were probably extremely offensive in the faces we made, but I couldn't help it. The tea literally tasted like chicken fat.
After the plantation, we went to the traditional village. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't too keen on seeing either one, and before actually seeing them I was wondering why we were wasting our time. OH MY goodness. What a fool I was! The traditional village was amazing. It's not like in America where the history isn't very rich- and if you visit a historical site you get volunteer workers in period-dress, "churning butter" or "baking bread." No no no no no. In Korea, people still actually live in these villages, much like they would have 6 centuries ago when they were erected. The general rule is that if a gate is open, you're allowed to enter the home (at least the 'grounds'). If there is a branch or a post laying across the gate, you are not to enter. We saw a man standing outside of his "hut" and he looked overly eager to have us come closer, so we did. After snapping a few photos with him, grinning wildly, he gestured towards the front door of his home. He slid it open, and I swear I can't make this stuff up- a woman (who I assume was his mother- though she literally looked about 180) came crawling- not walking, not even hobbling- crawling into the doorway, showing us 3 teeth. Then she started chanting "DON! DON!" at us, which means money. Not knowing what else to do, I quickly snapped a photo right in her face, knowing I'd want it for future story-telling. She didn't like this. I think she might have even hissed after we all kind of quickly shuffled away. Her son was practically kicking her back inside, as if to say "I almost HAD them, Ma! You ruined it!"
We definitely got a good giggle over this for awhile. Then we just wandered around the village. I bought some original pottery for dirt cheap (it will most definitely make the journey back to America in my carry-on baggage). We saw an old prison, statues of beatings, and lots of history. From the brochure I picked up:
Within the fortress perimeter of 1,410m remain well-preserved Choson Dynasty government buildings, nine traditional residences designated as important folklore material, and other old houses, people residing in this folk village still carry on traditional custom and manners. With its relics and unique living heritage, Naganeupseong gives visitors a direct look at Korea's history and traditional ways of life, customs and manners, and folk events.
Population and households: 288 people in 120 households (82 within the fortress walls, 38 on the outside).
After traipsing around the village for a few hours, we were more than ready to drive back to Daegu. Making rounds and dropping everyone off and cleaning the van back to its original state, I finally walked in my door late Sunday night, nearly collapsing, but not before doing 2 loads of laundry because everything I took (including the comforter off my bed because I don't own a sleeping bag) smelled like dog. A hot shower and some light reading later, I definitely fell asleep tired and happy, calling the weekend and the roadtrip a definite success.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
sorrrrryyyy!
Ok, I promise there is a big juicy update coming soon, I just couldn't be bothered to write it all up yet. But I had a great weekend last weekend that I really want to write about. So be patient, and within a (few) day(s) I should have it completed.
:)
:)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
korean dairy comes from dogs, cats, and genetically modified birds
Yesterday I went to Daegu Stadium (largest stadium in South Korea) to watch Usain Bolt run in the World Pre-Championship meet (world championships will be held in Daegu in 2011, and this was kind of a mini preview meet- not every event was run). He, of course smashed the competition in the 100m, then did a 400 minute victory lap, pausing all over for photos, posing in his famous lightning bolt pose, and just generally cheesing for the crowd. I've never been to such a big track meet in my life, and full of Olympic medalists- including David Payne, University of Cincinnati alum and silver medalist in Beijing 2008 in the 110m hurdles. I ran track at UC when David was there! So cool to see him run in an international meet in Korea! Small world. Lots of photos were taken :) The stadium itself was really cool to see. Definitely the largest stadium I've ever been in. Now in Korea I've been to a baseball game, a rugby game, and a huge track meet! I'm just trying to sample a little bit of everything that I can in my time here.
Daegu Stadium- seats 65,857
David Payne- about to run the 110m hurdles
Mostly Americans and Jamaicans lined up at the start of the 100m
Usain Bolt- camera shy
Usain Bolt killing it in the 100m
Today we had open class at school. This means that for all the kindergarten classes in the morning, the students' parents come in to observe the class while we teach. I had to prepare lessons for 2 different classes. We've been talking about this day for weeks! Though, I have to be honest, I did most of my work in the past few days. I can never do something ahead of time. I work best under the pressure of doing everything last minute! But everything went smoothly, and I was really comfortable having the parents in class with me. I think it made all my boys really hyper and they all wanted to show off how much they've learned. I've been teaching these particular students for about 2.5 months and they have come so far. My favorite is when they tattle on each other for speaking Korean during class. I have a little boy called Steve, and today during open class his mother leaned over to him and whispered something, and Steve immediately exclaimed, "Teacher! Mommy is speaking Korean!" We all got a good laugh. It's amazing how quickly children can learn a foreign language. I'm so proud of them.
Tonight after work 5 friends and I are piling into a rental van and going on a roadtrip! We've been told by a Korean friend that we're the only foreigners he's ever heard of renting a van in Korea. And we're pretty sure it's the kind of van that businesses rent, not 6 American, Canadian, and British foreigners! (It IS a 12-passenger van, afterall!) We'll be armed with a GPS, and a plethora of guidebooks. We have a rough idea of where we'll be heading, but since we'll have our own transportation (a total rarity!) we are free to go wherever we please. We're heading southwest, to an city called Wando. There are many islands in the area, lots uninhabited. So we will be camping on the beach at night, and lounging on the beach during the day. We also plan on hiking, and just generally spending as much time outdoors as possible. I've been looking forward to this for weeks and weeks. We'll be driving all night tonight to hopefully avoid the traffic. We have a 3 day weekend because tomorrow is Buddha's Birthday- a national holiday in Korea. Hopefully lots of fun is about to be had!
Daegu Stadium- seats 65,857
David Payne- about to run the 110m hurdles
Mostly Americans and Jamaicans lined up at the start of the 100m
Usain Bolt- camera shy
Usain Bolt killing it in the 100mToday we had open class at school. This means that for all the kindergarten classes in the morning, the students' parents come in to observe the class while we teach. I had to prepare lessons for 2 different classes. We've been talking about this day for weeks! Though, I have to be honest, I did most of my work in the past few days. I can never do something ahead of time. I work best under the pressure of doing everything last minute! But everything went smoothly, and I was really comfortable having the parents in class with me. I think it made all my boys really hyper and they all wanted to show off how much they've learned. I've been teaching these particular students for about 2.5 months and they have come so far. My favorite is when they tattle on each other for speaking Korean during class. I have a little boy called Steve, and today during open class his mother leaned over to him and whispered something, and Steve immediately exclaimed, "Teacher! Mommy is speaking Korean!" We all got a good laugh. It's amazing how quickly children can learn a foreign language. I'm so proud of them.
Tonight after work 5 friends and I are piling into a rental van and going on a roadtrip! We've been told by a Korean friend that we're the only foreigners he's ever heard of renting a van in Korea. And we're pretty sure it's the kind of van that businesses rent, not 6 American, Canadian, and British foreigners! (It IS a 12-passenger van, afterall!) We'll be armed with a GPS, and a plethora of guidebooks. We have a rough idea of where we'll be heading, but since we'll have our own transportation (a total rarity!) we are free to go wherever we please. We're heading southwest, to an city called Wando. There are many islands in the area, lots uninhabited. So we will be camping on the beach at night, and lounging on the beach during the day. We also plan on hiking, and just generally spending as much time outdoors as possible. I've been looking forward to this for weeks and weeks. We'll be driving all night tonight to hopefully avoid the traffic. We have a 3 day weekend because tomorrow is Buddha's Birthday- a national holiday in Korea. Hopefully lots of fun is about to be had!
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