Wordless Wednesday: Aimless Afternoons in Daegu

Last weekend the boy and I ventured to Daegu for a little time away from Pohang.  We had grand plans for the day that included making it to Apsan Mountain (rumored to be one of the most beautiful spots in Daegu) and roaming around to all the little places their website CLAIMED they have such as: cable cars, a small amusement park, multiple museums, etc.  Now, i'm sure all of those lovely things were at this beautiful mountain but we just weren't able to find them.  Seeing as how neither of us speaks fluent Korean or has the best sense of direction (you all know I don't) we wandered around for a bit until eventually the heat became unbearable and we called off the search and went back to civilization.

Even though we didn't get to cross another amusement park off our list, we still had a great time.  In between amazing western food, wandering the streets of Daegu, the beauty of the mountain or an impromptu drum concert, our day ended up being great.  Not what we expected, but great.

Welcome to the overcrowded streets of Daegu.

The Boston Buttsteak at New York Steakhouse.  

A trip is not really a trip for us until we pose with something in a plush costume or cardboard cutout.

The outside of a Korean war museum. 

During our search for the ever-elusive cable cars, we were able to sneak in a waterfall and a happy smiling photo to remember our day of aimless wandering.

A Year in Review

Exactly one year ago today, I began writing this blog.  It began as a way to document my journey to Korea and the teaching experiences I would have, but became so much more.  It become my way to take my friends and family around the world along with me while I travel .  My outlet for emotions.  My communication to those I cared for most.  Looking back on that initial post, it is hard to believe I am the same person.  I was lying on the floor of my mediocre apartment, trying to make this life changing decision.  Somehow I knew it was right for me.  It was meant for me.

Since that initial post, I have accomplished more than I ever thought possible.  I have formed friendships with some of the most amazing people from every corner of the globe.  I have been all around Korea and witnessed the Korean lifestyle and culture at its best.  I have traveled to Japan and found the beauty and destruction that has faced that country.  I have seen Thailand and seen the beauty of the country and its people.  Coming to Korea was the best choice I have ever made.  While it was one of the hardest decisions of my life, it has afforded me the ability to experience so much more than I ever could have imagined.

An entire year has passed and I only have the future lying ahead of me.  Before I came here I felt trapped.  Paralyzed.  Unfocused.  Confused.  Now I finally know what I want to do with the rest of my life and how I want to live it.  Coming to Korea changed me for the better.

Before coming here to Pohang, Korea I had no idea what was in store for me.  I didn't know the culture.  I certainly didn't know the language.  I didn't know a single soul.  I didn't know enough about Korea to fill an index card, let alone an entire year's worth of blogs.  Somehow I have fallen in love with the spontaneity, richness and culture that is the embodiment of Korea.

Here are my favorite pictures from 2010.  I can only imagine the shenanigans that will take place in the upcoming year.  The places in Korea yet to be visited.  Friends yet to be met.  Experiences yet to be had.  If 2011 is anything like 2010, this blog will continue with a newfound fervor.  May 2011 bring as many rewarding experiences and friendships as 2010 did.

Our Pohang Beerball League

My 24th Birthday.  Korean style. 

Going away party for Jared, one of the best guys I know.

My very first Pohang Steelers soccer game.

My first Daegu Ropes course excursion

World cup fever

Going away party for Nick Kelly

Mudfest 2010

One of many Guyompo beach trips

At a harbor in Japan with my ladies

The beginning of our Chuseok vacation to Geoju Island

After our hike up a mountain near Busan during Chuseok

Some of my best girls at Bogyeongsa

Angry Sunny during arts and crafts

Devilish little Hansu

The famous Homigot Hand

My part time kinder 6 class

Anna putting on her dancing shoes at With Wine

Pictures in Andong

Ladies afternoon in Daegu at the Holy Grill

Halloween 2010

Ugly Christmas sweater party

Caroling with the babies to each home.  Cutest Santas ever.

Standing on the Bridge Over the River Kwai

Two sleepy tigers allowed me to hold their tails.  Terrifying.

My newest tattoo.

Harley Davidson and Adoptive Korean Moms

Where to start.  I had quite the weekend that ranged from a movie night with friends to a solo adventure around and about Korea.  Here is a quick recap for those loyal readers out there.

Friday night was movie night.  A bunch of us decided that due to the fact that there were no other decent films out (and we all not so secretly wanted to see it) we would see the new Narnia movie.  It ended up being quite the kiddie film but the amazing features coupled with stellar graphics made it quite the Narnian experience.  Here is my review.  If you have the option to see it in 3D don't miss the opportunity.  The graphics and flying dragon alone will be well worth the hefty ticket price.  If it is just playing in the regular theaters wait for it on DVD.  It's a well crafted film but loses some appeal for the older audiences.

Saturday was spent in Daegu where a simple "Girls Day" turned into a seven hour solo adventure of finding  the elusive Harley Davidson store.  Why would I go on an adventure to find this particular shop?  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not exactly the typical leather chaps, Harley Davidson wearing, biker babe.  However,  I am the daughter of a wanna be biker dude who settles for t-shirts from foreign countries.  His only request is that his tshirts have the name of the country they were purchased in.  Sounds simple enough right?  WRONG!  The only shops in Korea are in Seoul (a solid 5 hours away) and the one near Daegu (almost 2 hours).  Clearly this would mean that ordering it online would be the most logical option.  Apparently logic hasn't hit the Korean website yet because while they do have plenty of American tshirts there was not a single one to be found with the "Harley Davidson Korea" sentence he has been jonesing for.  Now after realizing that the little shop was not in our location it was decided that it was time for me to break apart from the group and go on my first solo outing in Korea.

My girls of the day

The ever elusive Daegu Harley Davidson store

Now anyone who knows me,or knows of me, knows that I am one hell of a navigation fuck up.  I end up in different states.  I get lost in my own hometown.  Directions just aren't my forte.  To keep this story as short as possible, just know that the ONE hour bus ride to get to the magical shop of Harley Davidson turned into a SEVEN hour long ordeal.  I went the wrong way on the subway (first time riding it alone), got on the wrong bus (also the first time riding a bus alone), found out it was too late for a bus back to civilization after finally finding the shop and the shirt and eventually got the last train back to Pohang (my first train ride.)

My ticket to Hyeung.  It was only 2,000 W so it should have been a fairly
short trip.  "Should have been" are the key words here.
Notice the newly painted nails!

Clearly it was an interesting day full of wasted time and aggravation but I did it.  All by myself.  Plus, Dad will finally get the shirt that he has been asking for during the past 10 months.  It'll all be worth it to see his eyes light up when I see him open up that present and have him proudly show off  his new Daegu Harley Davidson shirt.  I sure hope I got the size right.  Wouldn't that just be the icing on that crap cupcake of a day if it didn't fit him.

Sunday

I woke up with um...women problems.  Unfortunately, I had to go to a lunch at the house of a student with my coteacher Heather.  We arrive to find a spread of delicious traditional Korean food complete with my favorite side dish, kimchi!  I end up having ridiculous cramps and ask the Mom (we named her Kelly due to our goal of using all of the names from the Saved By The Bell cast) to take me home at her convenience.  She motions the "why?" question and I motion at my stomach and she finally gets it.  She runs out of the room only to come back with an entire bag of pads (big sizeuh she says), female medicine and ANOTHER bag of pads (small sizeuh she says.)  She begins to put blankets on the couch to make me a bed so I can rest. She eventually gets the drift that I need to go home and she prepares a huge bag of sweet potatoes, muffins, medicine and enough pads for the entirety of the female population of Pohang.

Kelly has been deemed our Korean mother and she has filled the role quite nicely.  She feeds us.  No, she literally feeds us. Like snatches up food with chopsticks, says "AHH" and shovels it into our mouths.  She brings us breakfast to school.  She kisses us goodbye and tells us to have a good day.   Everyone always says that you find your Korean Mom when you get to Korea.  It only took me 10 months but I finally found her.  And while she is a good option for a Mom while i'm here, there is no replacing the real thing waiting for me in America.

Nope. There isn't anyone who could replace my 미국 엄마  (America Mommy)

Chuseok: Part III

Saturday

After the best sleep I had all week long, I went back to the bus station that I love so much to take yet ANOTHER bus.  Our destination this time was to a ropes course in Daegu called Herb Hillz.  Due to the fact that I had been to the course I was nominated to be the leader of the group.  Now if you remember from that post all those months back, the course is kind of like an obstacle course through the trees.  There are zip lines that connect the trees together with ladders, skateboards, bicycles and everything in between.  After a few nervous starts, we completed the course intact.  One member of our group even overcame his intense fear of heights. At least for the afternoon.  Success.

Gayle and Kevin maneuvering around the trees

Peeking around a tree

Ryan doing one of the many zip lines through the course

Group shot after our ride through the trees

After the ropes course we made our way back to Pohang.  After just finishing the course we were all starving and decided that a quick bite to eat and a final tour of our town would round out our new friends' visit to Korea.  One thing we all agreed upon was that you can't come to Pohang without visiting our unique Judko Market.  It was late when we arrived so we immediately went to the seafood section located in the back.  None of them had ever held a huge king crab before and luckily the people at the market were kind enough to let them hold a few and pose for pictures.  Now, I had never held one either and for some reason decided that I would also like to get in on the thrill of holding a live monster of a crab.  

After 3 of our group successfully posed for a picture with their crab it was my turn.  Successful pass of the crab to my arms.  Posing for the picture.  Waiting for the camera to flash.  Sudden immense pressure.  The crab had decided that my picture was one too many and that I could do without one of my fingers.  It took my poor finger and squeezed until my screaming caused my stunned friends to help me out.  Never will I ever hold onto a crab again.  Another lesson learned.  

Kelly getting ready for her picture with the monstrous crab

The crab got me.  My poor finger!

We spent the remainder of our evening at Bukbu Beach where we ate at a seaside seafood place.  Try saying that ten times fast. 

Corey successfully picking up a single kernel or corn with chopsticks

One of our last pictures before the end of the night

Our last stop was at a downtown bar, Whistlers, for a few games of darts (which I found out I kill at) and the inevitable goodbyes.  It continues to amaze me how much you can like someone after only spending less than a week with them.  I would likely never have met AJ, Corey, Kevin or Kelly if they wouldn't have decided to come to Korea to visit Ryan.  Hopefully our paths will cross sometime in the future.  If all else fails at least now I have more places to visit when I go stateside.  

All in all, the trip was amazing.  New experiences.   New friends.  Pictures that just can't do any of it justice.  I am absolutely exhausted and need another vacation to recover from my vacation.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely.

80's, Daegu, Ropes Course

[All of these pictures are from friends in Pohang.  Big big thank you to Pearl, Darin, Jared and Kyle for taking amazing pictures!  Hopefully my camera will be fixed in a few weeks!]

So this past weekend was by far the best since arriving to the land of the tiny people.  My friends from Pohang made it a birthday weekend to remember that's for sure.  Let me give you a quick rundown.

Friday was the 80's party.  It was complete with spandex, huge hair and anything florescent we could find.  The pictures pretty much say enough.

Pohang, 80's style

The ladies in the 'Hang know how to make the 80's look good

Kyle with the Pohang Steelers mascot.  Notice the peace
sign?  In Korea when a camera comes out so does that.

Saturday was my very first professional soccer game (Pohang Steelers) and our trip to Daegu.  Unfortunately the Steelers lost 0-1.  Maybe we are bad luck? 

Saturday afternoon through Sunday night was my first overnight trip outside of Pohang.  It was phenomenal but ridiculously expensive.  Good thing I get paid in a week!  We walked around to all the different shops around town and then had dinner at the Holy Grill.  It is a western bar and grill and has amazing food.  I never thought I would miss bruschetta and a good philly cheesesteak as much as I do.  Probably in the top 3 of the best i've ever had.  Yum!  (Unfortunately pictures of the bar and our travels that night are not up on good old facebook yet so all you picture lovers will have to be patient *cough cough mom*)

Sunday was the ropes course.  Now imagine a "theme park" filled with cutesy little pop up pictures, an animal petting zoo (complete with the incredible escaping monkey), couples in identical clothing and a huge ropes course complete with zip lines...and you have my afternoon. 

This Korean girl does not like her duck shirt, or maybe having
her picture taken by 30+ foreigners.

The Promise Garden

For all of you who are not "ropes course savy" here is basically a rundown of what it is.

A ropes course is basically a huge obstacle course that you complete while suspended on cables about 100 ft in the air.  Ok it sounds dangerous but it's really not.  You get a super awesome helmet, little grey gloves and a harness to wear.  If you fall the combination of all of those will save you from death.  That was my thought process at least. In all seriousness...it was super safe and super awesome. 

You climb ropes (which I fell off of), climb ladders, scale a tightrope (which I ALMOST fell off of) and so much more.  The best part of the entire thing is when you strap yourself into a 200ft cable and zipline yourself in the air to the other side of the park.  2 words for the experience of a zip line.  FREAKING AWESOME.  Nothing but air and the trees around you.  The only bad part is that all good things must come to an end...and the end of a zipline is a huge green cushion that you basically just slam yourself into in order to come to a stop.  My bruises have bruises.

A view to show you exactly how far we had to go
via zip line.  Pretty awesome. 

Green cushion.  Hard hat.  Cable.  Completely safe.

After an amazing weekend school was the last thing I wanted to do.  Trading 80's clothing, western food and adventure for snotty kids, crying kids and trying to explain to a child why the "n" on "vacumn" is silent?  No thanks.  Thankfully the munchkins behaved themselves and my day was full of arts and crafts and random assignments that took the entire class period so the day went by ridiculously fast.  Thank you sweet baby Jesus.

Wow ok.  Long post.  Sorry for the "On Friday I did...On Saturday I did...On Sunday I did."  I hate reading posts that give the lifestory of someone.  I don't give a crap that you woke up and brushes your teeth and then played world of warcraft for 14 hours.  At least I did something with my weekend.  Hopefully you weren't too bored and it inspired you to try something adventurous this week.  Maybe find a ropes course of your own?  No?  Ok well just live vicariously through me.

The next adventure?  Paintball.  It's gonna be epic.  Be on the lookout.