03/26/07

 

 

Korea - Sept/Oct 2006

* * * September 28/29 - SFO to Seoul

I arrived here ahead of schedule yesterday afternoon.  The plane flew in daylight the whole way.  I made myself stay away and watched about 6+ movies (Inside Job, The Sentinal, Keeping Mum, Poseiden, Sleven, Kinky Boots and part of Nacho Libre).  There was a choice of 80 new, "classic" and foreign films to chose from.  Using the remote you could start them at any time, pause reverse and fast forward!!!

I was on Singapore airlines and the service was quite good.  Lots of space in economy class, I thought.  (A Boeing 777.)

I stayed very near the airport last night (at a Best Western!), getting into bed before 8 PM.  In the morning I went back to the airport and took the express bus downtown Seoul where I met Louis.  The trip took about 1.2 hours.  I met Louis is South Africa several years ago.  Now he teaches English here.

Coming up is a holiday week.  This is what the tourist guide has to say:

The Harvest Moon Festival (Jusok) is held on the 15th day of the 8th full moon (usually the end of September or early October).  Analogous to Thanksgiving in the USA, this is a time for the family to get together, play some traditional games, and eat until they're ready to pop. This is a three-day holiday in Korea, and a big one. Unless you are invited to someone's home to share in the festivities, this is not a great time to visit Korea.  Most shops are closed and transport is a nightmare.

* * * September 30/31 - Seoul

We spent the weekend in Seoul.  After meeting at the bus terminal, we took the subway to an old-town area ... a tourist street with cobblestone streets and lots of shops.  We found a modest hotel there.  In the tiniest room, we had a 45" plasma screen TV on the wall.  On another wall was a desktop PC with a flat panel monitor.  The bathroom had an electric seat, but I couldn't get it to work.

The first stop of the day was the electronic market.  Big buildings with floors and floors of all kinds of electronics.  I didn't find anything, though.  Stalls and stalls of cell phones, computers, software, hardware gadgets, GPS, dictionaries, some appliances and so on.

I was carrying a small back pack (which felt "large" after a while) and my black man-purse.  We were able to leave my bigger bag in the hotel.

Another stop was a huge underground book shop ... which had many other things besides books ... gadgets, school supplies, toys, etc.

* * * October 2 - Wonju

On Monday, Louis and I took the bus to his city.  He lives further away from his school now and can't walk.  It's like being in the country side.  There are high rise dorms on one side of a man-made lake and university buildings on the other side.  Louis teaches at this university, but at the English Language Program which is "downtown". 

Louis needed to be a work at 11:00 AM.  I took the bus with him.  Louis went to teach and I make a long walk further away from his place ... to the city center.  I've done a lot of walking the past 3 days!

I ended up at the market hall (lots and lots of stalls in several adjacent buildings).   Before I even got there, the sidewalks were lined with vendors ... selling roots, boiled silk worm larvae (ugh), fruit, beans, green onions and so forth.  Women were sitting on the cement peeling chestnuts and ginseng roots.

Because of the custom of this up-coming holiday (Jusok - Harvest Moon Festival), gift boxes are to be seen everywhere.  They may contain, soap, candy, fruit, ham, etc.  I loved the box of about 7 cans of Spam (2 large and 5 small size) ... for $40.00  I think it is the custom to buy them and take them to the family home and give them to someone.  Louis says that most things will be shut down for this holiday and road will be filled with people going home.

* * * October 3 - Yemi, Hamboek

On Tuesday we took the train in an easterly direction to a little village called Yemi.  The train was efficient and comfortable and we had reserved seats.  We are in the foothills in a former coal mining area.  It is very rural.  We started walking to the next town.  The buildings are very modest here.  Rice was being cut and dried in nearby fields.  Louis' first teaching assignment was for a month in this town so he knew the area.

We continued to walk several villages-worth (several hours) until it was time to start home.  We caught a bus that took us to a train station.  A welcomed rest after all of the walking.

* * * October 4 - Seoul

We decided to return to Seoul on Wednesday, so we took a taxi to the Wonju bus station and took the "Excellent" bus to the city.  A friend of Louis' named Henry was in town for a job interview and met us at the terminal.  Henry is 27 and lives with his family near Incheon (airport city).  We returned to the electronic area so Louis could look into having a dead pixel on this laptop fixed.  (He will have to have it done in Wonju, we learned.)

We ate lunch at a pizzeria in the Ewha Womens University area.  It was about $10 for a large Margarita pizza.

* * * October 4 - Yonsei University

Today is the middle of the Fall holiday (Jusok) so most restaurant and shops are closed.  In the early afternoon we walked around the nearby man-made lake that is adjacent to the Wonju campus of Yonsei University.  Louis lives on one side and the school is on the opposite shore.  

We could see the city of Wonju in the distance in this largely rural setting.  Crops are approaching harvest time.  We saw grain (barley?) drying on the shoulder of the road. 

 * * * October 7 - Wonju city

Today we took at trip downtown ... shops were still closed.  We got off of the bus near Louis' school and walked a couple of miles to the express bus terminal.  From there we got a bus that brought us back to E-Mart ... a large department and grocery store.  I bought a sweater-jacket and small bag (that will hold my computer.

Louis decided to try his hand a bread making and put together a large batch.  He turned on the floor heat to speed up the rising.  We don't have an oven here, so some of the "baking" was done on top of the stove and the rolls were steamed in a vegetable steamer.

* * * October 10/11 - 2006 Wonju Tattoo

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended performances of the 2006 Wonju Tattoo ... an festival of international military bands.  The opening program was on the first day and it ended with an brilliant display of fireworks.  I also went the second day and saw the bands plan in earnest.

Here are some pictures taken before the performance and during the concert.  I found it all very entertaining.  The bands marched around a lot and featured singers and drummers and gun twirling, etc.  Details are further below.

I left Louis' place on 10AM with a 3 hour bus ride to Incheon Airport (Seoul)  The plane left Thursday at 5:50 PM and a 10 hour flight back home ... getting me home Thursday at 2:00 PM.

2006 Wonju Tattoo Opening Program
Green laser lights, drummers (men and women)  sparkler lights, colored gas jet flames, steam under pressure.

1) pop singers ... singing the Theme from Fame, and several numbers from ABBA.
2)  Romantic duet by man in tax And woman in white pant suit.
3)  A Korean Military band played from one section of seats in the stadium
 (I saw signs along the sides which said:  "Wonju!  The Mecca of Wind Music" and "Wonju Tattoo 2006" and "Music for the Peace, Marching for the Future"
4)  The participating bands were introduced and all came into the stadium.  The bands are listed below.
5)  Performance by traditional Korean costumed band:  swords and spears.
6)  New Zealand women drill corps:  a highland fling performed by 40 young women (red plaid skirts) and 4 young men (in naval uniforms)  
 7)  Ended with a bang:  A wonderful, colorful fireworks display

Korean Bands
- Ministry of National Defense Military Band, Army Band,
- Navy Band, Air Force Band, Marine Corps Band,
- The band of the First ROK Field Army HQ,
- The 36 Div Band of the ROK Army

Foreign Bands
- The French Foreign Legion Band
- Japan Air Self Defense Force Central Band
- Mongolian Central Band of Army
- New Zealand Highlander Dancers
- Russian Orchestra of the Pacific Fleet HQ
- Singapore Armed Forces Band
- Symphonic Band of the Artistic Association of Denia, Spain.
- The 8th US Army Band
- USAF Band of the Pacific-Asia

 

This site was last updated 10/12/06