Ilsan

Soojeong and I decided to make a trip to the near-by city of Ilsan the other day to meet a friend of hers for dinner and go walking at a park there. Her friend was unfortunately not able to make a bus in time to get there for dinner with us, but we made plans to meet up another day. Getting hungry, Soojeong and I decided that it was time to get something to eat before we we checked out the park. The shopping center where we had dinner was called Western Dom and it was full of every kind of store and restaurant you could think of. We decided to take a break from Korean cuisine for a day and eat Vietnamese food. It was delicious! Even though what we ordered had a few fried items in it, it was really easy on the stomach and I felt good after eating it.

With our bellies full of Vietnamese food it was decided that we should walk to the near-by 호수 공완 (lake park). The park was in a beautiful area just outside the business district of Ilsan. A few weeks ago there had been a flower festival there, and some of the flower displays were still up. Another neat thing about the park was the bikes that people could rent to ride around the lake. We opted to skip out this time, but there were a number of couples on tandem bikes and other people just riding normal bikes. After sitting down for a bit and watching the sunset, it was decided that we wanted to eat some dessert. We headed back to the Western Dom and went to a cafe that we had visited last year. It has nice chairs that rock back and forth, and four actually swing benches near the window that look out into the shopping center. That is where we sat. Ilsan was a really nice city with all the amenities of Seoul, just with less people. I think we will go back again and tour a TV station there sometime this next month.

Soojeong's Birthday: Seoul Land

Yesterday was Soojeong's birthday and to celebrate we went to an amusement park called Seoul Land. We took a train mid-morning and headed off to the park. Summer break has yet to start for most of the students in Korea, so the park was not crowded at all. There were some kindergartners and high school students that we ran in to, but I think the most we had to wait to ride a ride was 8 minutes. There were a few roller coasters with loops and corkscrews, and there was also a free-fall tower among other things. Usually you have to wait anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to ride any of those rides, but we were able to walk up to the free-fall tower and only be 2 of 3 people on the whole ride. Like I said, it wasn't crowded at all.

We spent most of the day there at the park, and it was just nice to have a long and relaxing date after what seems like forever. That evening we took the train back to an area called Myeong-dong and met up with our friends for dinner and dessert. Soojeong's best friend Goeun's birthday was just a few days ago, so we celebrated both of their birthday's. Dinner was very nice and so was the coffee and chocolate brownie we ate afterwards. What a way to wind down the day.

원효봉 (Wonhyobong Peak)

This past Wednesday I took my first trip to the mountains in Korea. I had been staying with Soojeong and her family for a day or two and it was decided that when Soojeong went to work from 1:30-10:00, that I would join her father for a trip to the mountains to do some hiking. I was really excited and couldn't wait to see what nature had to offer, but admittedly I was kind of nervous. Meeting with your girlfriends parents is nerve-racking enough, but in addition to just meeting them I had to worry about the language barrier. I can say a few things in Korean and can make simple sentences, but nowhere near enough to fill 9 hours of time. Her father studied English a long time ago when he was in school and can remember some words, but not enough for fluent conversation. I borrowed Soojeong's two-way Korean/English dictionary and off we went.

We headed to the mountains in her dads car, passing small farms and homes along the way. Korea is like Japan in that everything is very green and beautiful. When we got to the mountain base we bought some kimbap (see picture) and water for our lunch. We set off up the trail and up and up we went. The scenery was magnificent. Crystal clear water running over giant boulders, waterfalls, and fish swimming in the water. Paradise for a nature lover like me. We stopped a few times for snacks and to eat lunch as we slowly worked our way to the top. We met another couple and hiked part of the trail together. Like I said earlier, I don't speak much Korean, but I know enough to get the basic just of what people are saying in conversation. I was touched when Soojeong's father was bragging about me to the other people. The wife in that couple met even said that Soojeong and I should get married quickly..I think I will wait.

We finally reached the top and the view was unreal. It really looked like something out of an old painting. From the peak you could see Seoul and many other surrounding towns. I don't have all the pictures posted here, but there was also a giant gold Buddha statue on another mountain that was really neat. There is a wall along the top that runs the length of the mountain. Spaced evenly throughout the wall are holes where soldiers one put guns to shoot people if they tried to invade. There were also bunkers and small cave like areas on the mountain as well. When we finally got down to the base of the mountain we met Soojeong's fathers friend for a cup off coffee, and then headed back home to relax and clean up. That night Soojeong's dad ordered the food I had been wanting to eat, and together we ate it and talked about war, life, and many other things.

First Few Days

I finally made it back to Korea for the first time since last August. The journey to here was full of many fun and interesting stops along the way; to my cousin's house in Arlington, Phoenix, and then San Francisco where my cousin Marie met me and did a wonderful job playing hostess and tour guide to me during my first trip to California. I flew out of San Francisco at around noon, and had a twelve hour flight here to Seoul. The trip on the airplane was pretty uneventful and I slept a good part of it. I don't think I finished a whole movie or tv program that showed. I did make friends with two elderly Korean women who sat next to me though, and they gave me their phone numbers and addresses in case I wanted to meet up and get a city tour from them. It was fun using broken Korean/English to try and communicate. One of the ladies even spoke a bit of Japanese.

When I landed at Incheon, I was met by Soojeong and off we went to her house to drop off my things. It was so nice to be together after waiting a little over five months to do so. Meeting her parents was a lot less scary than I thought it would be. Her mother and father are both very friendly and they welcomed me with open arms into their home. We had fun talking and joking about different things. Her dad said that he wants to take me mountain climbing while I am here. I don't speak much Korean, and he doesn't speak much English, but I think we will make do just fine. The night I landed here, Soojeong and I met our friends Goeun, Chisato, and Haruna for dinner and drinks at a cafe. It had been since I lived in Japan that I had seen Haruna and Chisato, and it was really nice getting to catch up with them after all this time. It seems kind of surreal to meet my friends and hang out with them in Korea.

Yesterday, Soojeong, her sister, her sister's boyfriend Joe (who's house I am staying at), and I went to an area of Seoul called Gangnam to meet her cousin and her cousin's fiancee. It was their day to get their wedding pictures taken, and we all had a lot of fun taking pictures, eating, and just relaxing. Her cousin and her cousin's fiancee where both very friendly and both spoke English very well. The groom to be is finishing up his doctorate of mechanical engineering, and Soojeong's cousin is an elementary school teacher which is a very prestigious job here in Korea. After our day of taking pictures, we were treated to a Greek meal in an area near where I am staying called Itaewon. The gyros were delicious and it was nice to just relax and get to know everyone better.

This morning Soojeong had to work, so I set off to exploring the area around Joe's house on foot. It was a lot of fun to get out and see what the area had to offer. I took many little side streets that were packed with interesting little shops and schools. I don't know how many miles I walked, but I know that my feet are enjoying the rest they are getting while I am typing this up. I walked all the way down to the War Memorial of Korea (where I went last year) and took pictures and read about all of the different guns, tanks, planes, etc., that line the entryway into the main part of the museum. The US army base is right across the street from there, and it is really strange to see razor wire, electric fences, and signs warning about the consequences of trespassing on US government property. It is not easy to forget that South and North Korea are both technically at war.

I don't know exactly what the game plan is until I meet up with Soojeong after she gets off work tonight, but I will most likely set out to explore more of the neighborhood around here. Joe's friend Eric is staying here for a week as well, and I may head out to lunch with him. At any rate, I will continue to post some of my adventures from my time here this summer.

Looks like a fire hazard to me. What do you think?