Seoul Train

My birthday has come and gone. Although I have just turned 24, according to Koreans I have been 25 since January 23rd (the New Year). Being 25 for 2 solid years should be pretty interesting (and slightly depressing?). There was nothing depressing about my birthday weekend however.

Aaron, being the stud that he is, got us tickets to see Wicked the musical in Seoul. We decided that since we were making the trek up there, we would make a weekend out of it. On Saturday morning we got up early and made our way to the train station. Side note: there is nothing more shocking (or upsetting) than running into your boss at 7:00 on a Saturday morning in the Dunkin Donuts line, but we made it through. The KTX is a "high speed train" that runs between Gwangju and Seoul. It was Aaron's first time on a train! After a brief moment of confusion with our tickets (miscommunication led to us having to buy tickets again although we had paid for them online blah blah blah), we were on our way. Although travelling on trains is great fun, we both decided that we will be sticking to busses from now on. Trains are considerably more expensive and only knock off 30 minutes of travel time.

Aaron's first train ride!

The Han River.

Seoul Station.

We arrived in Seoul at around 10:30 in the morning, and after running up and down 5 flights of stairs, while trying to figure out the subway, we threw our sweaty bodies onto the correct line and made our way into the city. At this point we both had only two things on our minds, food and dogs (but not in the traditional Korean sense). We disembarked into a trendy, hipster type neighborhood and wandered around like lost children looking for the Bau House (a highly recommended dog cafe). After discovering that our map was for a location no longer in use, we were given directions and finally found what we were seeking. Having an hour or so to kill before the cafe opened, we took off down the street. We had gone no more than 20 yards when the mouthwatering smell of fresh bacon pulled us into a converted basement boasting "fresh, homemade Irish breakfasts." There was homemade bread, thick cuts of bacon, sausages, tomato slices, potato pancakes, cabbage soaked in lemon, and eggs; all washed down with an iced Irish coffee (that sadly had no Jameson in it). We were in heaven. The restaurant itself was tastefully decorated with snippets of Irish news, fresh herbs, and old fashioned knick-knacks.

In the cafe.

Best meal in Korea so far.

So happy.

After successfully stuffing ourselves we headed back up the street to the dog cafe. Happy barks welcomed us as we walked in the door, and it took all my self control not to instantly throw myself on the ground to roll around with the playful pups. Dog cafes can be either really great or just kind of sad. Aaron and I attempted to go to one in Gwangju but we left immediately after seeing the cruel dye jobs and rough handling of the animals. The Bau House was heaven on earth however. Well groomed, loving, and happy dogs surrounded us as we made our way to a table. Naughty Dalmatians climbed right up on the table to get a better look at us (and whether or not we had any treats), a small, playful cocker spaniel found its way onto Aaron's lap (and into his pockets), a pregnant golden lab settled at our feet, and a sweet mixed mutt rested his head on my shoulder. After buying a drink (admittance is free but a drink order is required) and a pack of treats for the dogs, we settled down for some much needed canine affection. I could have stayed all day.

The flocked to the treats.

My favorite guy.

This puppy loved Aaron and his pockets.

Naughty dogs.

We begrudgingly dragged ourselves away from the sweet dogs and headed to the hotel to check in. I have never been so excited to see a bathtub. Our bathroom (and whole apartment) is tiny and we shower while standing over the sink, trying to avoid the toilet, so a tub was an added luxury. After escaping the heat for awhile we fancied ourselves up and headed to dinner before the show. Pasta with rib meat and truffles accompanied by a glass of chilled white wine was in the cards for me. At this point I could no longer contain my excitement and we headed to the venue.
There were witches, monkeys, and hats hanging from the ceiling creating a kind of Halloween inspired, haunted house feel. All around the venue were different stands explaining character development and costumes; I have never seen such intricate costumes before. The doors opened and we hurried to our seats (only to sit in awe of the set for 45 minutes). The set was more impressive than I can explain. A giant metal dragon hovered above the stage as gears and wheels making up a massive clock created a dramatic backdrop. The show itself was breathtaking. I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the performance, laughing, gasping, and crying. My first experience with a real Broadway show was something that I am not likely to forget. Absolutely spectacular. 

Yay.

The map.

Drunk on happiness, excitement, and exhaustion we found our way back to our hotel and passed out. The next morning, after a continental breakfast and bath, we both got haircuts. Why haircuts in Seoul? Because after going to the same hairdresser for years (love you Janelle!) I was a bit hesitant to get my hair cut anywhere else, let alone a place that doesn't speak English. A fellow expat recommended Hair and Joy in Seoul: a place where the hairdressers are all familiar with the thin, western hair and speak perfect English. It was successful. A quick stop at H&M (close to two hours) was next to find swimsuits and shorts, and then we headed to the bus station (only getting lost once) and caught a bus home.  

My actual birthday was on Monday and I was showered in small cards from the kids reading "Kerryn teacher, I love you". I was also spoiled with a massive cake from my co-teachers. Life is too good to me here. <3

Gryffindor class.

Lancaster.

Are You Safe Enough?

This title may be slightly misleading so allow me to explain. No, we are not worried about our safety here in the least. There is no crime in Korea. Well, maybe there is, but Aaron and I have yet to experience it. Coming out of Honduras, the murder capital of the world (but still a beautiful country), Aaron and I have never felt so safe. Kids come out to play at 9:00pm (because they are usually in school until that time), and I have no problem taking a cab home alone after midnight. The only harassment we encounter is from children who are usually so excited to see white people on the street they cannot contain themselves. They are constantly greeting us in broken English everywhere we go.

The title of this blog refers to an experience we had this past weekend at a water park. The Jungheung Gold Resort and Spa in Naju was our destination of choice. We grabbed John in the morning (after a brief stint of him forgetting his wallet and running home while Aaron and I sang "Eye of the Tiger" to cheer him on) and made our way to Usquare, the bus terminal. Our co-teacher had thoughtfully looked up the times of the shuttle bus for us but we were still unsure of where the bus would pick us up. As we scanned the cloud covered horizon we decided that since the weather was bad we would probably be some of the only people heading to the water park. We were so wrong. A blue bus decorated with colorful swirls and bubbles drove past, and we were able to glimpse the name of the spa in tiny letters on the back. The bus terminal was suddenly transformed from a quiet, well dressed fashion show to a stampede of Koreans elbowing each other in their desperation to reach the shuttle. We allowed ourselves to be swept up with the sea of people and soon found ourselves standing in the aisle of a charter bus with 150 chatty youths ready to tackle the water.

The bus ride took us through a farm valley that stretched out as far as the eye could see. There were countless rice paddy fields, grape vines, acres of corn, cabbage, and greens. One thing I have noticed is that all the farmers here seem to be elderly as the youth are too nose deep in their electronics to dirty their hands. It leaves me wondering about what will happen with the turn of the generation, perhaps this will be when mass factory farming will come into Korea?

We climbed through some mountains and the resort opened up in front of us. The park is built on a man-made reservoir that looked strangely similar to Lake Shasta. Bits of sunshine were streaming through the clouds, burning away the fog that had collected over the water. Massive moss covered cliffs rose along the shoreline creating a dramatic backdrop for the man-created, colorful park we were about to enter.

Pretty view.

After buying our tickets we were ushered inside and given numbered watches to wear. After many hand movements and embarrassed laughs we finally figured out that not only were the watches our locker keys, but they were also to be used as debit cards. You have to pay an additional fee for each slide and nobody wants to carry around wet won in their pockets. The watches could also be used at the food court. Genius really! We piled some cash on them, threw our shoes in the designated lockers, and then parted ways to change.

There is something strangely comforting about the confidence Koreans have while being naked together. There is no childish giggling or trying to change awkwardly behind towels, but rather full nude ladies walk around and chat as naked as they were on their name day. I had no choice (being the ONLY white person) so I stripped down with a feinted self-confidence and casually showered before changing into my suit. Another fun fact, while most Koreans are 110 lbs soaking wet, they do not like to flaunt it. Bathing suits are sold here with matching clothes to wear over them. See-through lacy shirts, button-ups, sweatshirts, you name it and Koreans swim in it. Thankfully I had been lurking pictures of the water park so I came prepared with a scandalous tank top to wear over my bikini (skirts can be as short as possible but heaven forbid you expose your shoulders here).

Finally we were ready to experience the water. The sun came out to welcome us outside as we eagerly made our way to the biggest slide we could find. It was a monstrous blue and yellow full pipe that had the three of us screaming like little girls as we rocketed up on side and then the other. Afterwards we made our way to a water roller coaster (one of only a few in the world!) which turned out to be incredibly fun. The day then blurred together as we bounced from racing slides (which John mastered by the end of the day), toilet bowl inspired slides, and tube slides that were pitch black.

The yellow one is the water roller coaster.

Blue and yellow slide was awesome.

After a healthy lunch of fried food and soda we decided that a swim in the wave pool was necessary. Ignoring the fact that literally every single other person in the water park was wearing a life jacket we dove into the pool to the alarm of the 4 lifeguards on duty. Whistles started blowing like crazy and we looked around to see what had caused the chaos. Apparently we did. The lifeguards were all frantically motioning for us to get out of the pool because we were not safely nuzzled in life jackets and might drown in the 5 feet of water we found ourselves in. Laughing hysterically about the aspect of wearing a life jacket to swim in water that was never deep enough to tread in, we climbed out and succumbed to the Korean way.

Us being safe Koreans.

The best part of the park was the river by far. Safely decked out in our jackets, we donned the required inner tubse and made our way into the "lazy river". We were very confused about why life jackets and inner tubes were needed to float around a river-pool that was no more than 4 feet deep but we found out soon enough. We came to the "danger zone" where every thirty seconds a swell of water would be released to come crashing down into the river, thus propelling everyone along their way. Being us, we worked tirelessly to not be swept away so we could ride the waves time and time again. The rush was quite invigorating and we could not contain our mirth. We finally allowed ourselves to swept away down the river, feeling incredibly safe in our life jackets and inner tubes once again.

The water rush.

So safe.

The day ended with us in our respective locker rooms, enjoying the small jjimjilbang (bath house) that was located within. Once again I found myself striding around the room purely nude as I relaxed in various hot-tub style baths. My tub of choice was a small rectangular tub full of soft bubbles and only one other naked lady. I then plunged into the cold pool, showered off, and finally donned my clothing. It was one of the best days I have had since arriving!

You know you want him.

Penis Park



What a beauty...

Yup. Penises everywhere. But I'll start at the beginning.


This past weekend was a three day weekend in celebration of Buddha's birthday, so Aaron, John, and I joined a group to go on a good ol' fashioned road trip. We met at what seemed like the crack of dawn (7:30am on a Saturday). There were ten of us total, including Pedro, the South Korean hero who organized the trip. We all squeezed into Pedro's tiny mom-mini-van and the adventure began. Things started out well enough with a little bit of Toto's "Africa" (that one was for you Jim) and Paul Simon's "You Can Call me Al" (you're welcome Sean). Shortly after that, however, the music took a turn for the worse. I am a self proclaimed music snob and when the stereotypical "road trip music" came on, I was horrified. "Life is a Highway", "Born to be Wild", "Love Shack" and "She Works Hard for her Money" were just a few of the gems that had me in earphones for the majority of the day (sorry if this offends anyone on the trip).

We drove through the country towards the ocean on the east coast. It was a beautiful drive. Korea is incredibly green and there are verdant mountains everywhere you turn. About five hours into the trip we stopped at what was to be the highlight of the weekend for me...the penis park. As we approached the park Pedro warned us not to expect too much, so I entered with some apprehension. I was blown away right off the bat. Pecker wind chimes, phallic statues, knob fence posts, ball-sack stools, wang benches, schlong carvings...literally everywhere you looked = penises. We did manage to stumble upon a very romantic pathway with only a few wooden peter benches and a breathtaking view. (Thank you wikisaurus for the penis synonyms, I wasn't able to include them all so a few favorites are baloney pony, love truncheon, meatstick, and pink cigar).

Wind chimes.

Fence.

Stools.

Bench.

Posts.

Chair.

Too far.

?

I love his nose.

It was beautiful.

:)

Lily pads.

The cove at the Penis park.

I would have been content to go home after the willy park (that was for you, Mom) but the weekend had just begun. We made our way to the biggest limestone cave in Korea, Hwaseon-gu. The network of tunnels, crevices, and pools was astounding. The experience would have been more " The Descent-scary" if there wasn't a metal staircase lined with neon colored lights throughout the whole thing. Oh, Korea, you never cease to amaze me. 

On our way to the cave.

The entrance.

That night we found ourselves a cozy minbak with Pedro cooking some mouth-watering Korean BBQ for us. Minbaks are very interesting for those who have never spent the night on a Korean floor. They are small rooms fully equipped with a shower, toilet, sink, dishes, fridge, TV, etc. The only thing they lack is a bed. You are provided with a mattress pad of sorts, pillows, and blankets. The warm floors do help make for a pretty decent night's sleep though. 


On Sunday we drove around to see some of the east coast's beautiful beaches. There was some hubbub about a train station on the beach that was famous for being a romantic TV set...but frankly it was a little anti-climactic since we aren't avid followers of Korean TV dramas. 

Hour-glass style clock.

The East Sea.

Train station on the beach.

Our journey then landed us at a unification center. There was the only land-based Korean war ship (donated by the US) and a North Korean submarine. The sub had crashed and part of the crew escaped and murdered civilians until they were killed 50 days later. The submarine was so small it was hard for us to imagine 26 people living and working in it, I guess North Koreans are just itty-bitty.

Titanic.

Pirates.

Hard hats for the submarine.

In the tiny sub.

North Korean submarine.

Destroyer.

By the time we finally arrived at the beach to swim, tan, and relax, the rain started (of course). We grabbed lunch at a restaurant and listened to the rain. Next we headed up the road a bit more to our next sleeping destination, the Vancouver Motel. Finally we were able to relax on the beach, although at this point it was 6:00pm and the wind had picked up so there was no  chance for the much anticipated tanning or swimming :(. We all pitched in to make chicken kebabs and feasted once again. The highlight of our stay at the Vancouver was a dazzling fireworks display put on by John and Susan. We wanted to have a bonfire but couldn't because at that point we were so close to North Korea and fires could be used as signals to soldiers on the other side. During our firework extravaganza two South Korean soldiers came up to us and had a good long stare at all of our faces before stepping back to be wowed by the sparklers like the rest of us.

The fireworks display was almost this good....

Early on Monday morning we drove up to the Goseoung Unification observation center to peek at North Korea. There were beaches on either side of the view point that are untouched and simply gorgeous. It was strange to look through binoculars at a building a few miles away knowing that there were people on that side doing the exact same thing. The stare-down went on for a few minutes before Aaron and I ventured into the Korean War memorial. A very disconcerting noise clip was playing gun fire and screams as we entered a tunnel plastered with obscene pictures of the war. It was a shock to the system. After filling our heads with war pictures we jumped back into the van and drove ten hours back to Gwangju. 

Those mountains are in North Korea!

Buddha.

Facing the north, hoping for peace.

Aaron peeking at North Korea.

The road trip crew (minus a few).

The trip was a great way to get out of town and explore some more of the country that would otherwise be inaccessible. Korea amazes me more and more every day. For those few stragglers still reading this novel, thanks for doing so. I miss everyone at home (and those I have met around the world) and I hope to hear from you all soon.