Some Fun Outings

When most people come to Korea, they tend to focus their energies on Seoul, perhaps venturing down to Busan or the honeymoon island of Jeju. But, there are plenty of other gems scattered around the peninsula that are quite interesting, and in these places, one can enjoy the quietness of rural Korea sans Japanese tourists and karaoke rooms at every turn. This blog chronicles two recent outings to far-flung corners of South Korea, as well as some recent activity in my city of Daejeon, which also doesn't get a lot of recognition from tourists and brochures.

1. Boeun

Boeun, smack in the center of South Korea, is an area known for it's long-living people. I went with the Khim family and Katie, as we set off to discover "what makes [our] mind and body happy." First stop was to see Jeongyipumsong, a pine tree, which is supposedly pretty ancient. Legend has it that when King Sejo was traveling through his kingdom, a branch of this tree was blocking his path. He asked the branch to move, and it did, so the king bestowed a royal title on the tree (basically made the tree a cabinet minister).

Our next stop was to Beopjusa Temple, which was built in 553 AD. The two most distinctive features of this temple are this giant golden Buddha statue and Palsangjeon Hall.

There were also some great carvings on the rocks surrounding the temple.

Another ancient relic was the Samnyeonsanseong Fortress. This was built in the late 5th century, and although it is small compared to some other mountain fortresses in the country, it is very well preserved.

2. Buan

Hapgu Village in Buan County was advertised as being "the" place in Korea to dig up and eat hard clams. Unfortunately, when we were there, it was cold and windy and too early in the season for the clams. But, with the help of some amazingly helpful and patient folks and a genial taxi driver, we found many other things to keep us entertained in this rural area on Korea's western coast.

I had never REALLY wondered about how silk was made, but now I know! We had a super enlightening tour of the Silkworm Town where we learned all about the stages of a silkworm's life, notice all the larvae, and got to try our hand at extracting the silk (below).

We also stopped by a coast-side manor and traditional village that actually turned out to be a movie and TV set! Here I am hanging in a traditional house with my friend Luka.

And we DID get to go to the coast for some great views and refreshing sea air. The tide was coming in, and the whole coast had a rugged, ancient feel to it. In summer this area has popular beaches and people coming to drive on the Saemangeum Sea Wall, which is the longest sea wall in the world, but on this blustery day we got to have the coast almost all to ourselves.

And no trip to Buan would be complete without a giant, steaming bowl of their famous hard clam porridge in a ramshackle restaurant perched on a cliff above the coast. Perfect ending to the day.

3. Daejeon has some things to offer too! Here I am at the Daejeon currency museum. During the war, the money printing capabilities were moved out of the capital city and down here, where (I am pretty sure) money is still being minted.

I also recently biked through the heart of town to the government complex. Along the way, I was delighted by all the little parks and pieces of nature that the city has tried to preserve and promote. In the midst of 360 degrees urban landscapes, Daejeon has pockets of parks and green space. Here are two examples.

When I reached the government complex, below, they were a little flummoxed that I would be there just to sight-see. But I don't know why it was so shocking; I discovered some truly awesome things! Among the more mundane-sounding offices and departments, the government complex houses the "air-conditioning machinery examination department," and "the ubiquitous examination team," as well as being home to the Korean Inventors Hall of Fame and the Statistics Exhibition Center. Talk about exciting!

In the Statistics Exhibition Center I learned that KOSTAT, the premier statistics bureau in Korea which is located right here in Daejeon, is "promoting a higher standard of happiness" for all Koreans. That is a responsibility that must be taken very seriously. And in the Korean Inventors Hall of Fame I was thrilled to learn that, among more trivial things like paper, metal printing type, the satellite, the compass, and Dolly the Sheep, Koreans are also proud to have invented bagels and Choco Pies! Hats off to you, Korean inventors!

Update from the Sports Desk

Hey there sports fans! Here's what's been going on sports-wise in the "McArdle Does Korea" experience:

1. I went ice skating with the middle schoolers from Seomna Center. For hours we skated in circles, and it was fun to see the progress that some of the students made in that time, some of whom had never skated before. While we were skating recreationally, other skaters were practicing, pretty seriously, either speed skating or figure skating. It's obvious that skating is very popular here.

2. I joined a gym! It's pretty lousy compared to high-tech American gyms, but I enjoy it. They provide smelly outfits for us to wear while working out, and I am DEFINITELY the sweatiest person in the gym.

That yellow banner on the 3rd floor says Hannam Health, my gym!

3. A great professor at Hannam University lent us a bike! Traffic makes biking on the streets rather life-endangering, but there are some great bike paths along the multiple rivers in town that are a treat to be on during the nice-ish weather we've been having.

4. The BLUE FANGS!!! This is the professional (men's) volleyball team for Daejeon, and they are pretty good! I have been to two of their games, and they are super entertaining! The games are interesting in and of themselves, but the crowd is simply astonishing. They are the best fans you can dream of. Every single point, win or lose, gets a song and clapping accompaniment. There are choreographed cheers. The official cheering section has super dances.

The newest Blue Fans fan.

The official cheering section.

Team introductions. (By the way, in Korean, "Fangs" is pronounced "Pongs."

5. I am still playing soccer every week with the kids at Seomna Center. Most of the time they make me play goalie, but it's still fun to get out there and run around for a little bit. To call it "soccer" is a bit of a stretch, but still. They have to start somewhere. We also play a LOT of "ping-pong."

6. I I bought some new running shoes, but my old running shoes were filthy. Luckily there is a thing here called a shoe laundry mat! I dropped off my horrible, stinky shoes, and picked them up the next day. They looked brand-spanking-new and even smelled fresh! For under $3. This is something that should definitely be imported to the States.

You would never believe I trained for and ran a half-marathon in these babies a year ago.

7. My friend Sue showed me her golf driving range. Golf, like ice skating, is very popular. Golf courses themselves cost hundreds of dollars to play a round, but there are these fun golf driving ranges dotted around the urban landscape like giant green cages. The shortest amount of time that you can purchase is an hour, and there are automatic tees that conveniently load the balls for you!

8. Every Monday I am still doing Taekwondo. Still a white belt. Still the dunce of the class. Still several feet taller than my classmates. Still a blast!!

9. The Khims, Sue, Katie and I went out for an outing at the ballpark! We watched the Daejeon Hanhwa Eagles take on the Busan Lotte Giants on a beautiful day for baseball. The stadium and game were much like you would find in the States, but the refreshments were an entirely different story. EVERYBODY (literally) gets a box of (spicy!) fried chicken to eat at the game--this is so important that half of the stadium has tables in front of the seats. Also sold in the concession stand: roasted silk worm larvae, cup ramen, beer, Pringles, and caramel corn.

Kai-Li showing off her fried chicken.

Me at the ballgame in (Kai-Li's) Eagles hat.

Our motley crew. While the stands are empty now, they definitely filled up throughout the game.

HALFWAY!

Congratulations, all you YAVs around the world, we've made it to the halfway point. I wouldn't say that the time has flown by, nor has it dragged on. When I think of September, it seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago at the same time. So much has been packed into the last five and a half months, that I can't even predict what will be come to pass over the next five and a half.

I feel that at this point, I should probably do some deep reflection and have something valuable to say about how I have spent the last half year. However, we all know this isn't my style. And really, I love to instead focus on the moment and the joys and adventures that are happening everyday. Besides, my last post was semi-serious. So, instead of trying to drop some pearls of wisdom or carefully sculpted reflections, I'm just going to show you a few fun things that have been happening in the past few weeks.

BOMUNSAN

This is a mountain in Daejeon. I went here during Sollal, the Lunar New Year Celebration. It was nice hiking around the icy heights, taking in the pretty views, and chatting up the old men.

EXPO PARK SOLLAL CELEBRATION FOR FOREIGNERS

Expo Park is one of the most popular sites in Daejeon, as it houses tons of museums and an amusement park. During the Lunar New Year celebration, it hosted a festival for "global friends," that was complete with silly contests, prize drawings, playing of traditional Korean games, and eating tteokgu, the rice cake soup that must be eaten often during Sollal.

I loved this ride that was kiwi-themed.

Playing the world's largest dragon drum. BOOM!

DR. FISH

Are you feet feeling a little callous-y? Have a little dead skin that you wouldn't mind parting with? Then Dr. Fish is the place for you! Stick your feet into the warm water. Feel a little tickle. Look down, yes, those are swarms of fish eating the dead skin off of your feet. Visited this gem with Katie, Kristen and the Khim kids. Munch munch.

ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over the weekend we transformed our house into a full-blown rock concert, replete with guitar hero, wii dancing games, several craft stations, a photo shoot, American food, and cupcakes filled with Reese cups. Not to mention a dozen 9 year-old rock stars with names like Dude, P, Roxy, and Sparkle. This was Kai-Li Khim's birthday party. Although who had more fun, me or her, is a matter of debate.

You might think this is Avril Lavigne, but it's really me.

My fellow rockers, Luka and Kai-Li Khim.

Other recent highlights:

--a huge duck lunch with the Japan group. Multiple courses of duck. Delicious. Thanks Rev. Choi!

--Taekwondo on Mondays. Hiya!

--meeting Katie's parents and joining them at Outback Steakhouse for our halfway point celebration!

--hanging out with my awesome kids from Seomna Center and teaching them the Miss Mary Mack hand clap game (which was a huge mistake, as I have now done it close to a million times)

Being cared for by strangers

In the past few weeks I have been more amazed than usual at the incredible generosity and hospitality of strangers around me. Others, including Simon and Becky, have talked about the hospitality that we received in Japan, so I won't dwell on that here. But, yes, in Japan we were remarkably well cared for by strangers who welcomed us with open arms.

Instead, two recent incidents stand out to me.

This past week was Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in Korea, so I did not have work for the week. Instead, I did some exploring around my city of Daejeon. One day I was up hiking at Bomunsan Mountain, where I was repeatedly stopped by people asking if I needed directions or just looking for a chat--a chance to practice their English and to greet an American. On my way to the trail head, when I wasn't quite sure where I was going, a man led me until he got to his turnoff point, then passed me off to two older women who walked with me until they got tired and passed me off to a man who was heading my way. Even though I could have eventually found my way on my own, these wonderful people instead walked with me and guided me. Strangers took my picture when I asked them to; one man even gave me a lift back to the train station after my hike.

Each week I visit foreign migrant men at their places of residence. Their accommodations are usually much more humble than mine, and these men are, undoubtedly hard workers. Instead of resenting me my privileged, undeserved, position, these men (and sometimes women) are glad to see me and so welcoming. I am always given drinks or snacks. Last week I sat down to a very full meal of grilled seafood lettuce wraps with a big group of men from Vietnam. This Sunday I shared delicious food with four men from Indonesia. I shouldn't be eating their food, but they seem genuinely happy to share and eat together.

I am continually humbled by the friendliness, graciousness, and generosity of strangers around me. These people teach me much. I hope that someday I can be as welcoming and open hearted.

A Sojourn in Japan: Part 3

Just a few random things that I thought were interesting:

1. There were bikes everywhere in Japan! Much more than in Korea or the US, bikes were a major and common form of transportation. However, as we found out, the fad of biking is less about the environment or exercise, and more about the inaccessible price of cars.

2. Photo booths seem to be quite popular! On two separate occasions we were taken to photo booths to do crazy poses, decorate them, and print them off. If you go to malls or arcades, there are scores of these photo booths.

3. In Japan, girls can be in the boy scouts.

4. In both Korea and Japan, Valentine's Day is when girls give gifts to boys. White Day (in March) is when boys give gifts to girls. Black Day (in April) is a day for singles, who wear black and eat black food. I plan on celebrating all three.

5. Animation is very popular in Japan!

6. Universities all seem to have middle and high schools associated with them.

7. In some cities, the cable car is still a regular form of transportation.

8. American football is played at Japanese universities! Who knew? Kwansei Gakuin's team is apparently very good.

9. When we were riding with our host family in Hiroshima, the girls started singing "Country Roads." I was amazed that John Denver would have made it across the generation and geographical distance, but we all sang a rousing rendition of the song as we traveled the hills in rural Japan. However, the girls then played this song for us, which gave me a very different understanding of how they came to know the words to the J.D. classic. Turns out they hadn't heard of John Denver, but a Japanese artist had used the same words in this totally tech-no (but funny!) "Country Roads" song. Sigh.

(Turn your volume way up for this, the sound is a little low. And don't worry about viewing the video, there's nothing to see. Focus on the music.)

A Sojourn in Japan: Part 2

FOOD!

Japan has a very proud cuisine tradition. I was more than happy to let them show it off to me! Here are some of the things that I sampled during our brief stay.

This is donkatsu. It is breaded, fried pork that the Koreans have also adopted. It is very prevalent in Japan, though there are several varieties. This version is served over an omelet sort of thing with sauce.

Donkatsu: this version has unique ingredients, including asparagus! First time I have had asparagus since leaving the States. Sad, I know. Though different from the pork variety, this is still breaded and fried, served with many side dishes including shredded cabbage salad and a sauce that you made by crushing pepper with your own mortar and pestle.

This is takoyaki--octopus balls! A piece of octopus is battered and cooked, so it ends up being sort of like a pancake with a morsel of octopus inside. Actually, the insides are a little gooey. This version is served with stir-fried noodles and ginger. It is most famous in Osaka, and is a common street food. Really, it's a must-try.

Sara udon is a dish that is native to Nagasaki. It is thin, crispy fried noodles topped with seafood, cabbage, and other vegetables. At first it felt like eating uncooked Ramen noodles, but they were actually very flavorful and the dish was quite delicious, albeit unusual texturally.

We were treated to a very elegant meal at Kwansei Gakuin Univeristy. This salad course was my favorite, as it consisted of smoked salmon, roe, scallops, and balsamic vinegar. They served us many other delicious courses, but I would have been content with 3 more plates of this.

Ramen noodles are very popular in both Korea and Japan. The Korean version is mainly broth and noodles, and it is very spicy! This Japanese version has many vegetables, like peapods, onions, and mushrooms, and is in a savory, not spicy broth. It was wonderful! I got this and the sara udon at college dining halls. If only American dining halls had such dishes!

This pile of goop is called okonomiyaki, and it is famous around the Hiroshima area. I ate this on the island of Miyajima off the Hiroshima coast. This one is noodles, seafood, cabbage, etc sandwiched between some pancake type things and topped with sauce. It is tastier than you might think! MMMmmm...

One night, Simon treated us to a very fancy, six-course Japanese restaurant. The star of the meal was the crab, which was served in multiple ways. Above and below are two of the most delicious dishes. The first is a seafood hot pot with veggies and mushrooms. It boiled right in front of us over an open flame. The second is glutinous rice on a giant leaf topped with crab, fish and a smattering of other things. You think eating crab with a fork is tricky? Try metal chopsticks.

Katie and I ate this at a place in Osaka. It is rice topped with beef, tofu and a few noodles, served with green tea. It was extremely fast and extremely inexpensive, and was served in a diner-like setting. Basically, this seems like Japanese fast-food. Sign me up!

Did you know Japan is big on curry? I didn't. But after experience Japanese curry (multiple times), I understand why! Talk about satisfying. This big bowl is udon noodles and a bit of beef and onions, in curry sauce topped with tempura shrimp. I am hooked.

And what trip to Japan could be complete without sushi? I had a few different kinds of sushi when I was there, including a few different bento boxes. This one was served to us at Yodogawa Christian Hospital. The variety of fish was pretty cool, and the two-tiered box allowed for a whole serving of rice too, all in a neat little package. Pretty nifty.

Finally, no, this man is not food, but he does eat a lot of food. A lot. Katie and I were in dotonbori in Osaka when we saw a crowd around this guy, all getting their photos with him. So, I jumped into the fray to get a quick snap. When I was standing next to him, I asked him why everyone was posing with him, and he seemed quite taken aback that I didn't know who he was. Yet, he assured me that he was famous, "number one." Well! After a little research and some help from Japanese friends, I discovered that he is a TV host who goes around eating GIANT portions of food! He is the Adam Richman (Man vs. Food) of Japan. He has won second place in Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Even his nickname is awesome: Nobuyuki "The Giant" Shirota. Sir, I salute you.