Taken by a friend from S. Africa. This girlie's from PEI. The games are a little less chilly these days. heh heh.And yes, lucky us, we got in for free...one of the players lives in our building. He's from Montenegro.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Soccer game
Taken by a friend from S. Africa. This girlie's from PEI. The games are a little less chilly these days. heh heh.And yes, lucky us, we got in for free...one of the players lives in our building. He's from Montenegro.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Muui-do
FYI: literally "Muui Island." Pronounced "Moo-ee."
So last week my friend and I decided to take a nice little drive out past the airport island to this wee little island. Only about a 45 minute drive total. Got on this ferry:
You can see the other side to the right; it was about a 5 minute ride (about $30). And here's my wee little car smushed in there:
And the island (bigger than I expected, but still small):
Once there, we drove across it to this amazing beach. Here's my friend:
And us:
And here are little rooms on stilts you can rent for the night. Just a very small room. No beds, only blankets:
So we sat under these umbrellas all day and did a whole lot of nothing:
The weather was absolutely fabulous...not humid, only warm and breezy. We ate lunch:
I know, looks, er, interesting eh? It's good though. Called ice noodles (that block of white you see is iced broth). And of course, a meal isn't complete without kim-chi (fermented cabbage) on the side. I know, again, sounds appetizing, but I love it! It really grows on you.
Then, after a few hours of watching the tide, we decided to eat dinner:
Korean pizza, which is one of my favourite meals here in Korea. It's kind of like a fried pancake with veggies (you can also get it with squid, but I prefer my pizza without arms, thanks).
We watched the sun sink into your part of the world:
Then we decided to mosy on back across the island and make our way home. We arrived at the ferry slip. Time: 8:05pm. The ferry was across the way, docked at the other side. We got out to take a look around, and watched it coming back across the bay. Excellent, thought we. Until it suddenly took a sharp turn, went past us, and kept on motoring on its merry way out to sea. "Um..." I said. "Uhh...." my friend said. We stood watching and hoping for a few minutes, but alas, it was indeed headed out to its mooring for the night. Dang-nabbit! Last ferry at 8pm. We laughed and giggled for awhile and wondered what the heck we were supposed to do. I had only a wee little tank top...no sweater, no nothing. We drove back to our beach and enlisted the help of the restaurant owner who was closing up (we had been his best, and pretty much only, customers for the day). We said the word for "Room," but he thought we said, "Bread." He lead us around and basically told us all stores were closed. He must have thought we were pigs, after sitting and eating all day, and then begging him to find us more bread. We thought he said the rooms were closed, and we were really stuck. Finally, we made ourselves understood, and for about $50 rented this lovely (note sarcasm please) motel room:
That's the bathroom.
Here's the main room:
Nothing like feeling like Alice in Wonderland for a night. It was SO small! And mildewy, and buggy, and no windows, and boiling hot. I kept dreaming we were in a sauna. Ah well, at least we weren't sleeping in the car! Next morning saw us jump in our little vee-hickle, and head back toward home.
All's well that ends well, especially when the morning view from your car window looks like this:
Felt right at home.
So last week my friend and I decided to take a nice little drive out past the airport island to this wee little island. Only about a 45 minute drive total. Got on this ferry:
You can see the other side to the right; it was about a 5 minute ride (about $30). And here's my wee little car smushed in there:
And the island (bigger than I expected, but still small):
Once there, we drove across it to this amazing beach. Here's my friend:
And us:
And here are little rooms on stilts you can rent for the night. Just a very small room. No beds, only blankets:
So we sat under these umbrellas all day and did a whole lot of nothing:
The weather was absolutely fabulous...not humid, only warm and breezy. We ate lunch:
I know, looks, er, interesting eh? It's good though. Called ice noodles (that block of white you see is iced broth). And of course, a meal isn't complete without kim-chi (fermented cabbage) on the side. I know, again, sounds appetizing, but I love it! It really grows on you.Then, after a few hours of watching the tide, we decided to eat dinner:
Korean pizza, which is one of my favourite meals here in Korea. It's kind of like a fried pancake with veggies (you can also get it with squid, but I prefer my pizza without arms, thanks).We watched the sun sink into your part of the world:
Then we decided to mosy on back across the island and make our way home. We arrived at the ferry slip. Time: 8:05pm. The ferry was across the way, docked at the other side. We got out to take a look around, and watched it coming back across the bay. Excellent, thought we. Until it suddenly took a sharp turn, went past us, and kept on motoring on its merry way out to sea. "Um..." I said. "Uhh...." my friend said. We stood watching and hoping for a few minutes, but alas, it was indeed headed out to its mooring for the night. Dang-nabbit! Last ferry at 8pm. We laughed and giggled for awhile and wondered what the heck we were supposed to do. I had only a wee little tank top...no sweater, no nothing. We drove back to our beach and enlisted the help of the restaurant owner who was closing up (we had been his best, and pretty much only, customers for the day). We said the word for "Room," but he thought we said, "Bread." He lead us around and basically told us all stores were closed. He must have thought we were pigs, after sitting and eating all day, and then begging him to find us more bread. We thought he said the rooms were closed, and we were really stuck. Finally, we made ourselves understood, and for about $50 rented this lovely (note sarcasm please) motel room:
That's the bathroom.Here's the main room:
Nothing like feeling like Alice in Wonderland for a night. It was SO small! And mildewy, and buggy, and no windows, and boiling hot. I kept dreaming we were in a sauna. Ah well, at least we weren't sleeping in the car! Next morning saw us jump in our little vee-hickle, and head back toward home.All's well that ends well, especially when the morning view from your car window looks like this:
Felt right at home.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
June 21
Happy First Day of Summer everyone! Although it's felt like summer here for quite awhile now.
Incidentally, it's also the first day of monsoon season, oh joy, oh bliss! And yes, it did rain; I'm not sure who told the weather it was the official first day, but it complied. I'm not sure what to expect...I've heard everything from, "It'll pour rain day after day, nonstop!" to "It's not so different from rainy weeks in Canada."
We shall see, we shall see...
Incidentally, it's also the first day of monsoon season, oh joy, oh bliss! And yes, it did rain; I'm not sure who told the weather it was the official first day, but it complied. I'm not sure what to expect...I've heard everything from, "It'll pour rain day after day, nonstop!" to "It's not so different from rainy weeks in Canada."
We shall see, we shall see...
That's hot!
And now for your viewing pleasure.....the reason we have trouble keeping droves of men at bay!
Or...hotness personified!!
I painted this Chinese character on my toenail with the tinest brush ever! It took about an hour.
Just kidding, it was a stamp. Sheesh, how girly-girl did you think I'd become??
Or...hotness personified!!
I painted this Chinese character on my toenail with the tinest brush ever! It took about an hour.
Just kidding, it was a stamp. Sheesh, how girly-girl did you think I'd become??
Monday, June 18, 2007
Summer's Here!
Hi Everyone!
Sorry I've been so lax about posting lately. Not sure I can promise it will get better, what with summer trips coming up, but I'll try!
It's hot here. For example, it's 11am here on a Monday and my apartment is 27 degrees. I've had fans and the air conditioning going on and off all night. Ug! Walk down the street and be covered in sweat. But it's not too unbearable yet. Yesterday my friend and I went for a little walk around my neighbourhood and I took some pictures just for you! Aren't you lucky. My impressions of Korea keep improving the longer I stay. When I first arrived, it was cold and everything was grey and brown. No green, no life. Then spring arrived and all of a sudden there are mini tropical areas all over town! The Koreans also love to grow rose vines on walls and fences. It's quite beautiful.
So here we go. Not far from my house there is a mini river. Here's the stream itself. There are constantly people fishing out of it, which grosses me out...
...because here's the stream scum itself. Yummy!
Along the river there is a little walking trail. You walk on that cushy stuff that race tracks are made of. Great idea. And at one point someone planted these beautiful little gardens of flowers.
On each side of the stream is a mini road (one-way). I take this road frequently for a short-cut:
The above picture doesn't quite do it justice...the road is SO tiny. Whenever I'm driving and someone is walking, I feel like I'm going to push them down the bank and into the water! Also along these roads are shacks that people live in to tend their gardens. Every available space in the cities are used for something...high rises, small windy roads filled with villas and the occasional house, garbage and junk piles, gardens, swamped rice fields, you name it. Here's 2 roosters and a dog beside one of the houses you see in the above picture:
And here are some of the ubiquitous swamped rice fields, complete with ramshackle hut. You can see the highway running along above it:
So there, maybe you now have a better idea of what I look at every day. Take a five minute walk in any direction and you'll see something completely different. Quite interesting, and quite different from Canada.
Sorry I've been so lax about posting lately. Not sure I can promise it will get better, what with summer trips coming up, but I'll try!
It's hot here. For example, it's 11am here on a Monday and my apartment is 27 degrees. I've had fans and the air conditioning going on and off all night. Ug! Walk down the street and be covered in sweat. But it's not too unbearable yet. Yesterday my friend and I went for a little walk around my neighbourhood and I took some pictures just for you! Aren't you lucky. My impressions of Korea keep improving the longer I stay. When I first arrived, it was cold and everything was grey and brown. No green, no life. Then spring arrived and all of a sudden there are mini tropical areas all over town! The Koreans also love to grow rose vines on walls and fences. It's quite beautiful.
So here we go. Not far from my house there is a mini river. Here's the stream itself. There are constantly people fishing out of it, which grosses me out...
...because here's the stream scum itself. Yummy!
Along the river there is a little walking trail. You walk on that cushy stuff that race tracks are made of. Great idea. And at one point someone planted these beautiful little gardens of flowers.
On each side of the stream is a mini road (one-way). I take this road frequently for a short-cut:
The above picture doesn't quite do it justice...the road is SO tiny. Whenever I'm driving and someone is walking, I feel like I'm going to push them down the bank and into the water! Also along these roads are shacks that people live in to tend their gardens. Every available space in the cities are used for something...high rises, small windy roads filled with villas and the occasional house, garbage and junk piles, gardens, swamped rice fields, you name it. Here's 2 roosters and a dog beside one of the houses you see in the above picture:
And here are some of the ubiquitous swamped rice fields, complete with ramshackle hut. You can see the highway running along above it:
So there, maybe you now have a better idea of what I look at every day. Take a five minute walk in any direction and you'll see something completely different. Quite interesting, and quite different from Canada.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Mini Road Trip
Last Sunday, with nothing better to do, me and 3 friends just hopped in a car and got on the highway headed east. We went past Seoul, into the heart of the country, to Gwang-ju. Here we found fresh air, rolling green hills, little streams, and big lakes! So lovely. We plan to return someday and stay overnight in order to enjoy it a little longer.
On the way back, traffic was backed up toward Seoul for a bit on this tiny road. In the middle of the road was this coffee stand. Only in Korea! There are SO many roadside vendors in this country, selling everything from fruit to calculators to socks.
On the way back, traffic was backed up toward Seoul for a bit on this tiny road. In the middle of the road was this coffee stand. Only in Korea! There are SO many roadside vendors in this country, selling everything from fruit to calculators to socks.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
By the light of the Mac
I took this picture of my friend 2 nights ago at a party we had. Just thought I'd share, because I like it so much. :D
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Bupyeong Pungmul Festival
On Saturday, we headed down to Bupyeong, which is a part of Incheon (my city), only 15 minutes away by subway. It's a trendy shopping district, and I really like the atmosphere there. On the weekend, they shut down traffic and held a festival. There was a giant stage for drumming and dancing performances, booths selling food, pottery, and what have you, and a parade. Have a look-see at some of the things I got to see!
By far the highlight was this drumming group who just gave 'er on these huge drums. So fantastic! What a workout too:
Old men who appear to be making rope from bales of hay underneath. I think it was to be set on fire later on:
Old men dancing and singing:
The food:
Pork BBQ anyone?
Coconut drinks:
And of course, the bugs! Mmm...appears to be 2 kinds of bugs here, not just one as usual! The kind on the right is everywhere, and they s-t-i-n-k. There stench wafts through the air, making yours truly run upwind every time. People like to sell them at open-air markets and near mountains for hikers. I'm not a try-anything-once kind of person. Sorry!
The parade:
I didn't get a whole lot of great pics from the parade because there were no barriers for the crowd, so everyone crowded right in and it was hard to see.
Chinese b-boys in the parade:
The ring toss! Where you can win anything from rum to bleach:
The ring toss leader:
A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!!
By far the highlight was this drumming group who just gave 'er on these huge drums. So fantastic! What a workout too:
Old men who appear to be making rope from bales of hay underneath. I think it was to be set on fire later on:
Old men dancing and singing:
The food:Pork BBQ anyone?
Coconut drinks:
And of course, the bugs! Mmm...appears to be 2 kinds of bugs here, not just one as usual! The kind on the right is everywhere, and they s-t-i-n-k. There stench wafts through the air, making yours truly run upwind every time. People like to sell them at open-air markets and near mountains for hikers. I'm not a try-anything-once kind of person. Sorry!
The parade:
I didn't get a whole lot of great pics from the parade because there were no barriers for the crowd, so everyone crowded right in and it was hard to see.
Chinese b-boys in the parade:
The ring toss! Where you can win anything from rum to bleach:
The ring toss leader:
A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Gangwon-do
Last weekend, this lovely lady and I headed into Seoul to catch a bus headed for the east coast for the day.
The above picture was taken just before we took some time-travel drugs (otherwise known as Gravol), and passed out. Which was nice since we had woken up at 5am that morning to get into Seoul on time and also because the bus ride was something like 4 hours. So many people in this country! And all traveling on the weekends!
The bus was full of foreigners (English tour), mostly Canadians. Man, there are a TON of us over here! I swear, it's gotta be the biggest Canadian ex-pat community in the world! We could form a small Canadian city. I've heard estimates that there are between 20 000 and 50 000 Canadians in Korea at any given time.
Oh, how I love the east coast! It so reminds me of New Brunswick, particularly the Fundy Park area. Our hike was easy-breezy. No mountains, only forests and a beautiful river that we kept wading across.
Swimming hole:
The watery trail:
SO beautiful! I just love this country!
Some folks taking it easy:
Ah! Refreshing!
By the way, Happy June everyone!! Can you believe it?! ;) Love you all! xoxoxoxo
The above picture was taken just before we took some time-travel drugs (otherwise known as Gravol), and passed out. Which was nice since we had woken up at 5am that morning to get into Seoul on time and also because the bus ride was something like 4 hours. So many people in this country! And all traveling on the weekends!The bus was full of foreigners (English tour), mostly Canadians. Man, there are a TON of us over here! I swear, it's gotta be the biggest Canadian ex-pat community in the world! We could form a small Canadian city. I've heard estimates that there are between 20 000 and 50 000 Canadians in Korea at any given time.
Oh, how I love the east coast! It so reminds me of New Brunswick, particularly the Fundy Park area. Our hike was easy-breezy. No mountains, only forests and a beautiful river that we kept wading across.
Swimming hole:
The watery trail:
SO beautiful! I just love this country!
Some folks taking it easy:
Ah! Refreshing!
By the way, Happy June everyone!! Can you believe it?! ;) Love you all! xoxoxoxo
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