Pony Up

I'm not usually a betting woman, but I like horses and I like trying new things. So when I got a chance to visit Seoul Racecourse Park, I was in. It was all or nothing. And by all, I don't mean all the money I brought, but rather I'd "give it my all." 

Located in Gwacheon, a suburb of Seoul, Racecourse Park and its surrounding scenery was as majestic as Disney World. Mimicking the ring of the track, green mountains provided an arresting backdrop and indicated the first signs of spring. Thankfully, the yellow dust was too preoccupied to make an appearance; and, for a moment, I almost forgot that I was on the perimeter of one of the densest cities in the world instead of frolicking around "the hills" with Julie Andrews. 

After sizing up the competition in the pre-race show ring, we headed to the foreigner's box on the fourth level. Located along the home straight, the foreigner's box offered leather seats and English betting cards. Betting started at 100 Won, which is only 7 cents; and after a quick tutorial on how to fill out the card, I was ready to win. Initially, I wanted to chose the winner based on each horse's name, but I decided to be smart with my money and check the stat board. I chose the horses with the best numbers and turned in my ticket. Only after the race finished and my 3 selected horses came in dead last did I realize I had misread the stat board. Instead of going with the top three, I had actually chosen the three worst horses on the track. And, to top things off, the horse I had planned on selecting based singularly on its name, came in first. Rats.

It turns out, I'm not that great at placing bets. In the end, I left a loser—though not by much; but I had a great time watching the magnificent speed of every horse, even if I held my breath every time they passed out of sheer terror one would stumble horrifically to the ground. 

Cost of entry:  800 won (59 cents)

Total bet:  5,000 won ($3.73)

Amount lost:  2,000 won ($1.49)

The option of hard-boiled eggs at the snack stand:  Priceless

Jockeys getting ready to show-off their horses... or mares.

Outdoor seating

Box Seats

The foreigner's box

Yellow Dust, Go Away

Dear Gobi Desert,

I appreciate your desire to travel, and fully understand the thrill one receives when hopping from country to country. Seeing the sights in China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan offers you the chance to become well-traveled; and earns you bragging rights among your friends—the Sahara, the Arabian, and the Kalahari. However, your seasonal travels bring with them unwanted tag-alongs; and although I am a fan of sand, I have not found much in common with the other particulates that accompany you on your journey. Blowing through many interesting and highly populated areas gives you an opportunity to pick up an abundance of souvenirs, which unfortunately includes harmful industrious pollutants. 

Perhaps you are unaware of the sulphur, soot, ash, carbon monoxide, mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, lead, zinc, copper, and other carcinogens that consider you a "free ride." In addition, many viruses, bacteria, fungi, pesticides, antibiotics, asbestos, herbicides, plastic ingredients, combustion products, and hormone mimicking phthalates seem to enjoy your yearly excursions. I'm speaking for most of East Asia when I say we would prefer not to breathe in these additional toxins. The daily sore throats and nasal problems have not been met with joyful acceptance, and I fear my already slow running pace is being negatively affected as well. 

In addition, I'd like to express to you my desire for a blue sky. Over the past several months coinciding with your trip, I've been tricked into believing the sky has permanently morphed into grayish yellow. Thankfully, I have easily convinced my young students that their light blue crayons are still called sky blue while yellow is reserved for the sun and many species of flowers. As of yet, they have not caught on to the discrepancy; but I feel there isn't much time left.

Please understand my request of your exodus from this area. I think Mongolia is an incredible place, and I hope to visit you personally one day. 

xoxo,

Travelgirl

Feels Like Home

A piece of home made its way to Korea when my best friend came to visit last week. I was excited to show my first visitor around town and as I made plans for our week together, the list of events grew longer and longer. As a Korean-American visiting Korea for the first time, I knew Nicole's visit would be special regardless of what we did with our time; and I was simply grateful to have her presence in my life here.

Thursday

I braved the two-hour bus ride to the airport alone and found the experience to be ridiculously easy. It's much less confusing to sit back and relax, while the driver does all the work, than it is to maneuver one's way through the maze of subway tunnels in Seoul. As one of four non-Koreans at the baggage claim exit, Nicole had no problem spotting me once she came through the doors. Our reunion, as they usually are, was happy and tearful. 

We headed back to Ansan on the bus, took a nap, and then joined Andrea for dinner before heading to LOST night (our weekly get together with friends to watch the insanely confusing show, LOST). 

Friday

The warm weather was a blessing as we made our way to Yoido Island, in Seoul, for a cherry blossom festival. Unlike the trees we saw on our road trip a few weeks ago, these flowers were in full bloom. The cottony puffs were magnificent against the yellow haze in the sky, and it was impossible not to photograph every other tree. 

A view of the city through the yellow dust-covered sky.

Everyone else was posing with the flower pots, and you know what they say...

"when in Korea..."

Yoido Full Gospel Church—the largest church in the world with over 800,000 members!

After a quick Korean lunch of bibimbap, we headed to Changdeokgung Palace, one of the "Five Grand Palaces" completed by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty in 1412. Because of its beautifully landscaped gardens and integrated architecture, Changdeokgung was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. 

Our English-speaking tour guide. Her English wasn't bad, but my attention span was non-existent so I came away with no more knowledge about the palace than what I entered with.

Matchy, matchy.

The palace gardens were very serene.

Saturday

We left the apartment at 5:30 am on Saturday morning and headed into Seoul for our DMZ tour. Even though spring is here, the grounds within the DMZ have not yet turned green so the view was exactly the same as it was during my first visit to the border in the fall. However, one potentially exciting thing happened while on the bus—I'm sure I caught a glimpse of the elusive vampire deer. Now, many people have doubted my sighting (because I did not actually see the deer's fangs) claiming it was most likely a simple roe deer; however, I cannot deny the possibility that it was actually a vampire deer so that is what I choose to believe. **See my previous blogs for more information on vampire deer.**

After entering this building, shared by North and South Korea, I took the picture below.

This is the one picture I regretted not taking after my first visit to the DMZ—thankfully I got a second chance. The picture was taken out the window of the above building. It is the actual MDL (military demarcation line) that separates North and South Korea. North is on the left, South on the right. Once again, my position in the building had me standing in what is technically, North Korea.

Despite our early wake-up time, we did not want to waste the rest of the day by napping so we stayed in Seoul and shopped around Hongdae and Itaewon before meeting friends for an Indian buffet dinner. By the time we finished dinner, we were exhausted and couldn't wait to get back home.

Sunday

Happy Easter!  The traditional Easter meal of ham, vegetables, dyed eggs, and jello salad didn't make its way to Korea, however, a huge spread of galbi (marianted, grilled pork) was a delicious substitute. After a memorable day in Seoul, we visited Seonyudo Park along the Han River. The postmodern park is unique in its design, which incorporates beautiful foliage into the structures and architecture of what was once a water purification plant. The result is an eco-conscious space that inspires beauty and evokes romance. 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

A visit to my school gave Nicole the chance to see my students—naughty and nice. Many of them were completely shocked that she's Korean, but only speaks English. I think they were equally surprised to hear that she doesn't regularly eat kimchi! Although they were usually too shy to probe her with questions during her visit, I fielded many questions the following day. 

Equally intrigued with Nicole, my boss treated us to a delicious lunch on Tuesday of bulgogi (marinated sirloin) fish, and soup. The gesture was greatly appreciated, and once again, I answered questions about Nicole after she left. Overall, she made a lasting impression on my school and even won me a few extra brownie points with my co-workers. Thanks!

Unfortunately, Wednesday was Nicole's day of departure and as I put her on the bus for the airport, I was disappointed to see her go. However, I am so glad for the experiences we shared together in Korea—far away from home. 

~Nicole, thanks for visiting me!  Korea misses you almost as much as I do.~

Diary- Boned Rib

Boned Rib

by Ryan

Today I ate delicious food.

It's pork. I like a pork.

Among them my favorite is boned rib.

So I ate boned rib.

Then I saw a strange thing.

Yesterday I saw TV show, they are fake boned rib.

I thought my boned rib is fake.

Delicious, but is unstable.

A Very Korean Road Trip (Day 2)

After piling back into the van, and leaving the crazy experiences from the previous night behind, we were in desperate need of breakfast. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts (a popular establishment throughout Korea) and enjoyed, or tolerated, a few breakfast sandwiches and some stale donut holes. Although the Korean Dunkin' Donuts sells roughly the same items as an American store, the quality is definitely not on par. But, the familiar smell and colors abated our desire for comfort, as well as, the cushiony booth seating (a welcome feel after sleeping on a marble floor for the first time). 

On our way to the next adventure, we pulled up in front of a convenience store to grab some water. As two of the guys hopped out to get the drinks, the rest of us stayed in the van and rehashed the previous night's events. As we were talking, we heard a crunching sound and felt the van sway to the right. Just as we saw another car drive away, we realized we had just been the victims of an accident; which quickly turned into a hit-and-run.

Everyone:     What was that?

Everyone:     We just got hit by that car!

Everyone:     6428, 6428, 6428...

Everyone:     There he goes!  Remember that license plate number!

As Joey and Lee hopped back in the van, we took off in hot pursuit after the perpetrator. He was already several steps ahead of us and out of sight, but the small city offered few options to hide so our confidence was high. While searching every white Hyundai SUV for the correct plate numbers, we realized how common white Hyundais actually are. Most cars in Korea are either black or white, and of course, Hyundai rules the roost. After an impressive chase with no results, Joey called the police. In order to file a formal report, we had to return to the scene of the accident where officers could inspect the damage and record our information. As Joey (the only Korean speaker) took care of the situation, the rest of us waited inside the van and documented the events. Hyped up on adrenaline, we were excited and amused to have the Korean police become part of our journey; and knew our story would be that much more amusing.

Joey heading over to take care of business with the officer.

They were either pointing at the van, the location of the crime, or all of the foreigners inside the van who were taking pictures out the window.

After losing over an hour of our day due to the accident, we were all ready to head out. We decided to take a boat ride around some of the islands off the coastline—a picturesque part of Korea. As we drove toward the water, I couldn't help continuing to investigate the license plate of every car we passed. Within moments, my searching paid off...

Me:                Oh my gosh!  There he is!  6428!!!

Everyone:     Get him!

Joey:             [whips the van around and speeds off after the Hyundai]

Everyone:     [uncontrollable laughter and disbelief in the current situation]

As we sped after the guy, traffic loosened up and gave us the opening we needed to get closer. In a move only seen on TV, we pulled up alongside the SUV and stopped at an angle—blocking his only way out. Quickly, Joey hopped out of the van and marched up to the Hyundai's window. A lot of dialogue was traded in Korean, however, we were unable to understand any of it so we—once again—spied from the windows.

Exhibit A—the white Hyundai Santa Fe

The criminal and his captor

Apparently the man "didn't know he hit our car," but there was no mistaking the definite side-swipe that occurred. His actual unawareness is still unknown, but his face was unmistakably guilty. As teachers, we all know a guilty face when we see one; and he definitely had it written all over. Unfortunately, the excitement quickly wore off as time passed by. The small scratch on our car, which probably could have been buffed out, cost us three hours of the day. Because Joey was the only Korean speaker of our group, he was left to deal with the situation alone while Larry Lawbreaker had an equally guilty-looking friend to back him up. After talking to the police, both parties were instructed to take a trip "downtown" to the police station. Because we could offer no help, and our picture taking would've become a hinderance, the English speakers stayed behind to wait for the situation to pan out.

Lucky for us, we were already situated on the waterfront so there was much to see and explore while we waited. A live fish market provided a colorful and interesting look into the seafood industry of southern South Korea, while old boats bobbed in the harbor.

Tongyeong Live Fish Market

Fish just hanging out and drying in the breeze

Dried squid and fish—similar to the idea of beef jerky

Hundreds of fish options.  Not very big, small, teeny tiny, miniscule...

One fish, two fish, red fish...

The Tongyeong harbor

The famous turtle boat with a top that looks very reminiscent of a shell.

After putting the "van incident" behind us once and for all, we headed to the docks for a much anticipated ride around the Korean islands. We purchased our tickets and got in line for the 3 hour tour. Of course, with our luck that day, we held many superstitions about the trip and wondered which of us would end up as Gilligan. 

The boat ride, an interesting Korean cultural experience with dried squid snacks and Korean music, ended at a beautiful island reminiscent of the one Gilligan shared with his gang. The lush green trees surrounding Hansanman Bay (used during the Japanese invasion in 1592) hid several colorful monuments and statues. Our one hour of alloted time to explore and investigate was not enough to see everything; and our group, with its bad luck, nearly missed the boat back to the mainland. 

The tour guide loved his microphone too much, which resulted in an unbearable volume of chatter in a language we did not understand. Some of us, Derrick, were unable to stand it.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

A tale of a fateful trip

That started from this tropic port

Aboard this tiny ship.

The shoreline was a little too rocky for swimming... or walking.

He asked to hold my hand. How embarrassing...

After heading back to the mainland, we made our way to Joey's hometown, Jinju. A site during the Japanese invasion in 1592, Jinju Fortress is breathtakingly beautiful at night. The lights along the perimeter lend a magical feeling to the surrounding grounds making it a perfect spot for a late night stroll. Jinju is much older than Ansan with an understandably richer history; and it was easy for us to wish we had known about the city before deciding where to live in Korea. 

The famous rock, where Nongae (a Korean courtesan) successfully killed herself and a Japanese general she had seduced by wrapping her arms around him and then plummeting to their deaths.

After a delicious dinner at a Korean restaurant, we left Jinju for the four hour drive back to Ansan. It was a fantastic weekend full of adventure, awkwardness, and hilarity; which I'll remember forever. However, more than after any other trip, I was definitely ready to sleep in my own bed.