Monday, June 22
Monday was an interesting last day. I wish Chris and Laura could have taken the day off from work, but such is life. It was still a good day. After many Korean feasts over the week, we decided to just have cheap pizza for lunch. Afterwards, we got some coffee and lamented over C&L having to go to work.
I spent the afternoon in Coex Mall. Apparently it is the world's largest underground mall. Fascinating, I know. I didn't care to shop, especially since I was running short on cash at that point. I had come to visit the aquarium and kimchi museum. The aquarium is the home of a famous two-headed turtle. Laura reminded me several times to take note of it.
I was wary of an aquarium in a mall, but it turned out to be pretty good. I like watching turtles and manta rays, and they had those, so check mark added. I do not like seeing live tarantulas at the entrance to the Amazonian exhibit, x mark for giving me the heebie-jeebies. Aquatic life only, please!
Unfortunately, the kimchi museum was closed on Mondays. This was the only kink in the otherwise flawless itinerary put together by Laura and Chris.
Outside the mall was a Buddhist temple. There were a lot of people praying, so I used my camera very little and unobtrusively. Since I had a lot of time left, I took the opportunity to relax and peacefully write some journal entries while there.
After that I rode the packed subway back for the last time. It was sad. Before meeting C&L, I stopped at a park to do some reading. There were some public outdoor exercise machines, and people seemed to actually use them regularly.
After they got off of work, Chris and Laura took me out for more barbeque. It was a place right next to their apartment that they hadn't tried before. It was decided that we would have a low-key evening, so we went back to the apartment and just chatted and played Wii games. Then Chris and I stayed up late laughing at action movie clips on youtube.
I spent the afternoon in Coex Mall. Apparently it is the world's largest underground mall. Fascinating, I know. I didn't care to shop, especially since I was running short on cash at that point. I had come to visit the aquarium and kimchi museum. The aquarium is the home of a famous two-headed turtle. Laura reminded me several times to take note of it.
I was wary of an aquarium in a mall, but it turned out to be pretty good. I like watching turtles and manta rays, and they had those, so check mark added. I do not like seeing live tarantulas at the entrance to the Amazonian exhibit, x mark for giving me the heebie-jeebies. Aquatic life only, please!
Unfortunately, the kimchi museum was closed on Mondays. This was the only kink in the otherwise flawless itinerary put together by Laura and Chris.
Outside the mall was a Buddhist temple. There were a lot of people praying, so I used my camera very little and unobtrusively. Since I had a lot of time left, I took the opportunity to relax and peacefully write some journal entries while there.
After that I rode the packed subway back for the last time. It was sad. Before meeting C&L, I stopped at a park to do some reading. There were some public outdoor exercise machines, and people seemed to actually use them regularly.
After they got off of work, Chris and Laura took me out for more barbeque. It was a place right next to their apartment that they hadn't tried before. It was decided that we would have a low-key evening, so we went back to the apartment and just chatted and played Wii games. Then Chris and I stayed up late laughing at action movie clips on youtube.
Sunday, June 21
Sunday was a day at the races. We visited the Seoul horse race track with Adam and Meg, a couple of C&L's friends who used to work with them, but got new jobs. None of us had ever been to horse races before, so it was a pretty exciting day. In one afternoon there are a dozen or so races. You are supposed to read a guide with a lot of complicated statistics, and from that determine which horse to bet on in each race. We sat in the foreigners' lounge, which was very nice considering it was free, and that we got to have simpler guides written in English.
Just before the race starts, the odds of several different types of bets on all the horses are displayed on a giant board next to the track. These indicate the payoff on your bet and fluctuate every couple of seconds. I have no idea what they are computing, but it is fun to try and figure out. Sometimes we would bet on a horse that seemed pretty good, but then its odds would suddenly jump to 1.0, which means you just get your money back with no gain if you win.
To bet, you fill out a card and turn it in for a ticket. You can put several bets on a card, so even though I won bets on all but one race, I still came out behind. The lowest bet you can make is 100 won, which is less than $0.10. We were betting $1.00-2.00 per race. All in all it was pretty cheap for a whole day of entertainment.
After the race we went to a Czech bar for some drinks. I have no idea how or why it exists in the middle of Seoul. We had dinner at a Korean restaurant that served sliced pork with a hot soup filled with big spine bones and vegetables.
Adam and Meg had to go home because they had work early, so Chris, Laura, and I went back to Beomgye. We went to the grocery store first, where I bought some stuff to take back home. One of my souvenirs is a big bottle of Soju, which I hope can go through customs.
Laura was tired, so she took the groceries home. Chris and I were going to go to a movie theater, but we changed our minds since he had been wanting to try a DVD-bang. This is where you get a private room with a big screen projector and surround sound, and you rent a movie from a selection in the lobby. When we went up the elevator, Chris said "I hope this isn't something for couples and they think we are gay or something." That was foreshadowing. When we went in it seemed to be just a normal, run-of-the-mill video store. They had action movies, comedies, and dramas from the U.S. and Korea alike. After some confusion with the clerk, we found the movie we were looking for: a Korean interpretation of The Good the Bad and the Ugly titled The Good the Bad and the Weird. The clerk showed us to the room, and when we got there Chris and I just started laughing hysterically. The only thing in the room besides the screen and sound system was a giant half-couch, half-bed thing with a vibrate feature. We still watched the movie, though. We had already paid! In the end, the couch was the only sketchy thing about the place. The movie was good, the place was clean, and the quality of the sound and video was great. The couch baffled us!
It was cool to talk movies with Chris again. I'm glad we went. Earlier in the evening, we ran into Jun who told us Matt and Josh were out drinking. After the movie we went and found them, had a round, and played some darts.
Just before the race starts, the odds of several different types of bets on all the horses are displayed on a giant board next to the track. These indicate the payoff on your bet and fluctuate every couple of seconds. I have no idea what they are computing, but it is fun to try and figure out. Sometimes we would bet on a horse that seemed pretty good, but then its odds would suddenly jump to 1.0, which means you just get your money back with no gain if you win.
To bet, you fill out a card and turn it in for a ticket. You can put several bets on a card, so even though I won bets on all but one race, I still came out behind. The lowest bet you can make is 100 won, which is less than $0.10. We were betting $1.00-2.00 per race. All in all it was pretty cheap for a whole day of entertainment.
After the race we went to a Czech bar for some drinks. I have no idea how or why it exists in the middle of Seoul. We had dinner at a Korean restaurant that served sliced pork with a hot soup filled with big spine bones and vegetables.
Adam and Meg had to go home because they had work early, so Chris, Laura, and I went back to Beomgye. We went to the grocery store first, where I bought some stuff to take back home. One of my souvenirs is a big bottle of Soju, which I hope can go through customs.
Laura was tired, so she took the groceries home. Chris and I were going to go to a movie theater, but we changed our minds since he had been wanting to try a DVD-bang. This is where you get a private room with a big screen projector and surround sound, and you rent a movie from a selection in the lobby. When we went up the elevator, Chris said "I hope this isn't something for couples and they think we are gay or something." That was foreshadowing. When we went in it seemed to be just a normal, run-of-the-mill video store. They had action movies, comedies, and dramas from the U.S. and Korea alike. After some confusion with the clerk, we found the movie we were looking for: a Korean interpretation of The Good the Bad and the Ugly titled The Good the Bad and the Weird. The clerk showed us to the room, and when we got there Chris and I just started laughing hysterically. The only thing in the room besides the screen and sound system was a giant half-couch, half-bed thing with a vibrate feature. We still watched the movie, though. We had already paid! In the end, the couch was the only sketchy thing about the place. The movie was good, the place was clean, and the quality of the sound and video was great. The couch baffled us!
It was cool to talk movies with Chris again. I'm glad we went. Earlier in the evening, we ran into Jun who told us Matt and Josh were out drinking. After the movie we went and found them, had a round, and played some darts.
Saturday, June 20
Saturday got off to a late start due to self-induced illness. It was raining so we decided to do indoor stuff. The Seoul Museum of Cotemporary Art had a specal exhibit celebrating 100 years of Korean comics and cartoons. It was pretty cool to see all of the prewar and wartime era stuff. unfortunately though, all explanations were in Korean. The second part of the exhibit consisted of modern art inspired by comics, including sad, sad robots.
For dinner we had famous cold noodles. Then we sought the mysterious and elusive cat cafe. Chris had been wanting to show me, and see for the first time himself, a PC-bang (PC room). This is like an internet cafe where people can go play computer games or surf the web. Laura looked up directions to the cat cafe there and I got my ass kicked at Starcraft by a Korean kid (something that was actually on my list of things to do in Korea).
Once we knew how to find the cat cafe, we set out. A cat cafe is a place where you pay to have drinks while being surrounded by lazy cats who like to be petted. It was simultaneously intriguing and odd. Afterwards we saw a band playing in the park and ate waffles. There are waffle stands all over Seoul. Everyone pronounces it "wappuhls."
Chris and I wrapped up the night by watching Blood Simple while Laura went to bed. I felt sorry for the boyfriend. To everyone else it was a crime drama. To him it was a horror movie.
For dinner we had famous cold noodles. Then we sought the mysterious and elusive cat cafe. Chris had been wanting to show me, and see for the first time himself, a PC-bang (PC room). This is like an internet cafe where people can go play computer games or surf the web. Laura looked up directions to the cat cafe there and I got my ass kicked at Starcraft by a Korean kid (something that was actually on my list of things to do in Korea).
Once we knew how to find the cat cafe, we set out. A cat cafe is a place where you pay to have drinks while being surrounded by lazy cats who like to be petted. It was simultaneously intriguing and odd. Afterwards we saw a band playing in the park and ate waffles. There are waffle stands all over Seoul. Everyone pronounces it "wappuhls."
Chris and I wrapped up the night by watching Blood Simple while Laura went to bed. I felt sorry for the boyfriend. To everyone else it was a crime drama. To him it was a horror movie.
Friday, June 19
On Friday I visited the Seoul Arts Center. Unfortunately, I got off at the wrong subway stop and took forever to find my bearings on foot. I ended up walking several miles before I found it.
arts center rooftop
The Arts Center consists of several music and visual art exhibition halls. I was able to walk around the modern art exhibits, but missed the calligraphy museum due to closing time. The art museum was really cool. I got in for free because they were having a special event. There were a lot of people setting up artwork, so I think I may have accidentally snuck in when I wasn't supposed to. Outside the exhibit a jazz trip was playing. I watched them for a few minutes and then made my way back to Beomgye.
artwork
That night I had dinner with Chris, Laura, their friends from work, and a new teacher at their school who had just gotten into town. We went to a bar and then noraebang, which turned out to be a wild night. I had a lot of fun, but drank way too much!
some Chinese noodles we had for lunch
me in a park after lunch
arts center rooftopThe Arts Center consists of several music and visual art exhibition halls. I was able to walk around the modern art exhibits, but missed the calligraphy museum due to closing time. The art museum was really cool. I got in for free because they were having a special event. There were a lot of people setting up artwork, so I think I may have accidentally snuck in when I wasn't supposed to. Outside the exhibit a jazz trip was playing. I watched them for a few minutes and then made my way back to Beomgye.
artworkThat night I had dinner with Chris, Laura, their friends from work, and a new teacher at their school who had just gotten into town. We went to a bar and then noraebang, which turned out to be a wild night. I had a lot of fun, but drank way too much!
some Chinese noodles we had for lunch
me in a park after lunch
Thursday, June 18
Thursday I took a tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. I had no idea that relations between the two were as actively hostile as they are. When the bus got to the UN military base, we were given a long safety briefing by an American soldier. He would be our guide for the actual DMZ part of the tour.
The military demarcation line runs coast to coast, indicating the boundary between the two nations. The demilitarized zone extends 2000m north and south of the MDL. This is the area where troops are not allowed to move in order to preserve the ceasefire.
The South Korean side has 3 lines of defense: anti-tank walls, land mines, and I believe the third was the base itself. It includes a fence that runs along the entire MDL. They place white stones every few feet or so. This is a simple measure to detect if the fence has been tampered with. The stones are wedge-shaped and will fall out if disturbed. Beyond the fence is a vast minefield. It was disconcerting to be 10 feet from a fence that had danger warnings threatening immenint explosive death.
One of the prominent features of the DMZ, other than thriving wildlife, are the dueling propaganda villages that lie inside. I don't recall their Korean names, but the Americans call the South Korean one "Freedom Village" and the North Korean one "Propaganda Village." Apparently, Freedom Village was around since before the armistice, and they decided to subsidize the residents instead of kicking them out. They pay no taxes, have far more land per-individual than a typical Korean farmer, and schools with a high teacher to student ratio. They fly a big South Korean flag visible from North Korea. Propaganda Village is a large group of fake buildings with no backsides, like you would find on a movie set (so we were told). They fly a higher and much bigger flag than South Korea, which gets bigger and higher every time the South Korean flag does. Now the North Korean flag is the largest flag in the world, requiring imbedded metal cables to keep it from tearing itself apart. This makes it too heavy to blow in the wind. It is like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, which would be funny if it wasn't so scary. From an observation point, in the distance we could see the jamming tower North Korea uses to block all South Korean TV and radio broadcasts.
DMZ with "Propaganda Village" in the background
The tour took us right to the building where the armistice was signed. The MDL splits the building right down the middle. Other buildings are similarly split, some controlled by South Korea, some by North Korea. Before going in, we could see North Korean soldiers staring at us as South Korea soldiers stare back at them with willed intimidation. The American soldiers refer to North Korean soldiers as "the enemy" without hesitation, and it seems eerily justified. Being there makes the peace seem very precarious. Inside the armistice room, tourists could cross to the North Korean side for kicks. Technically, I can say I set foot in North Korea.
I am in North Korea taking this picture. Sort of.
On the way back we could see where soldiers were killed when, in the '80s, a Russian citizen on a North Korean tour defected unexpectedly on foot. He was pursued across the MDL by N. Korean soldiers, and a firefight ensued. Farther down the road was the sight of the hatchet incident where UN soldiers were killed trying to cut down a poplar tree near their guard post. It was a spontaneous territorial dispute in the '70s, only the three UN personnel had no idea they were going to be attacked and murdered for it. Finally, we saw the bridge of no return where the prisoner exchange took place after the ceasefire.
The bridge of no return.
After leaving the military base, we were taken to one of the tunnels North Korea dugas part of a failed sneak attack post-ceasefire. When discovered, the N. Koreans attempted to smear the walls with coal dust and claim it as an abandoned coal mine. They failed to realize the only thing down there was granite with no trace of coal. the tour guide informed us that it was now a gold mine, as tourists spend a lot of money to see it.
I enjoyed the tour and had the privilege of meeting a woman named Helen from London. The day was more entertaining with company and conversation. She was in Korea visiting her sister. Incidentally, I would run into her again on Sunday at the Seoul horse race track.
The military demarcation line runs coast to coast, indicating the boundary between the two nations. The demilitarized zone extends 2000m north and south of the MDL. This is the area where troops are not allowed to move in order to preserve the ceasefire.
The South Korean side has 3 lines of defense: anti-tank walls, land mines, and I believe the third was the base itself. It includes a fence that runs along the entire MDL. They place white stones every few feet or so. This is a simple measure to detect if the fence has been tampered with. The stones are wedge-shaped and will fall out if disturbed. Beyond the fence is a vast minefield. It was disconcerting to be 10 feet from a fence that had danger warnings threatening immenint explosive death.
One of the prominent features of the DMZ, other than thriving wildlife, are the dueling propaganda villages that lie inside. I don't recall their Korean names, but the Americans call the South Korean one "Freedom Village" and the North Korean one "Propaganda Village." Apparently, Freedom Village was around since before the armistice, and they decided to subsidize the residents instead of kicking them out. They pay no taxes, have far more land per-individual than a typical Korean farmer, and schools with a high teacher to student ratio. They fly a big South Korean flag visible from North Korea. Propaganda Village is a large group of fake buildings with no backsides, like you would find on a movie set (so we were told). They fly a higher and much bigger flag than South Korea, which gets bigger and higher every time the South Korean flag does. Now the North Korean flag is the largest flag in the world, requiring imbedded metal cables to keep it from tearing itself apart. This makes it too heavy to blow in the wind. It is like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, which would be funny if it wasn't so scary. From an observation point, in the distance we could see the jamming tower North Korea uses to block all South Korean TV and radio broadcasts.
DMZ with "Propaganda Village" in the backgroundThe tour took us right to the building where the armistice was signed. The MDL splits the building right down the middle. Other buildings are similarly split, some controlled by South Korea, some by North Korea. Before going in, we could see North Korean soldiers staring at us as South Korea soldiers stare back at them with willed intimidation. The American soldiers refer to North Korean soldiers as "the enemy" without hesitation, and it seems eerily justified. Being there makes the peace seem very precarious. Inside the armistice room, tourists could cross to the North Korean side for kicks. Technically, I can say I set foot in North Korea.
I am in North Korea taking this picture. Sort of.On the way back we could see where soldiers were killed when, in the '80s, a Russian citizen on a North Korean tour defected unexpectedly on foot. He was pursued across the MDL by N. Korean soldiers, and a firefight ensued. Farther down the road was the sight of the hatchet incident where UN soldiers were killed trying to cut down a poplar tree near their guard post. It was a spontaneous territorial dispute in the '70s, only the three UN personnel had no idea they were going to be attacked and murdered for it. Finally, we saw the bridge of no return where the prisoner exchange took place after the ceasefire.
The bridge of no return.After leaving the military base, we were taken to one of the tunnels North Korea dugas part of a failed sneak attack post-ceasefire. When discovered, the N. Koreans attempted to smear the walls with coal dust and claim it as an abandoned coal mine. They failed to realize the only thing down there was granite with no trace of coal. the tour guide informed us that it was now a gold mine, as tourists spend a lot of money to see it.
I enjoyed the tour and had the privilege of meeting a woman named Helen from London. The day was more entertaining with company and conversation. She was in Korea visiting her sister. Incidentally, I would run into her again on Sunday at the Seoul horse race track.
Wednesday, June 17
On Wednesday I visited Namsangol Hanok Village. It is a mock village with architecture from the same period as the palace I visited on Monday. It turns out I was the only person who showed up for the English tour, so I had a one on one tour with the guide. He liked to chat, and was enthusiastic enough about the subject to have volunteered as a guide. We went over a brief summary of Korea's history, from the Three Kingdoms to modern day.
The guide at Namsangol Hanok Village. Thanks for a great tour!
The day turned out to be very interesting, and I think my guide appreciated the more conversational approach to the tour. We were even joined by the information desk lady when she got off work. I think she may have also been a volunteer guide.
The guide at Namsangol Hanok Village. Thanks for a great tour!After the historic village, it was already 5:00. The other two things I wanted to do required me to figure out a bus route, so I decided to only do the one the bus came to first and not risk missing both. Thus, I ended up visiting N. Seoul Tower and not the cartoon museum.
The bus stop of no return.
The tower was pretty cool, except they charge you 7000 won just to ride the elevator up there. At the base of the tower there were some dancers performing. They wore hats with long streamers ad played drums and cymbals. Part of the skill of the dance appeared to be keeping the hat streamers rotating at all times.
The bus stop of no return.The tower was pretty cool, except they charge you 7000 won just to ride the elevator up there. At the base of the tower there were some dancers performing. They wore hats with long streamers ad played drums and cymbals. Part of the skill of the dance appeared to be keeping the hat streamers rotating at all times.
At the top of the tower I found a majestic view of the city, or what you could see through the half fog, half smog. I stayed up there and wrote a journal entry. For 7000 won, I wasn't going to just pop up and take a peek!
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