election day

korea is having a rather large government election this coming wednesday. posters are plastered everywhere with headshots of all of the candidates. the hype of the election is extremely entertaining to me. campaigners line the roads with cards, pamphlets and posters indicating their candidate of choice. the candidates themselves wear sashes (think male beauty pageant) and stand on busy street corners and humbly bow to the lanes of cars hoping to score some votes from the drivers whizzing by.

printing in korea is rather cheap so there are dozens of HUGE color banners hanging from tall buildings advertising the promises of each of the candidates. i must admit i am completely ignorant about this election. i am trying to learn a little, but as of now i'm merely judging the candidates on "how good of a smiler" they are.

my favorite part of this election are the party trucks that buzz by with a bunch of people standing in the back waving to the fast-beat of a Korean tune. They all wear white gloves have permanent smiles and they sway back in forth of a bongo truck saying things like "vote for soandso!" the trucks zoom around on these big and small side streets parading the flag of each candidate. all the candidates have their "truck". I've seen at least 20 of them driving around and they all have their party team in the back waving or rather swaying with jazz fingers spread and big smiles. i'm not sure how a crowded truck with people jammed in the back giving me jazz fingers with white gloves on makes me want to vote for someone, but i guess the koreans dig it or i wouldn't see 20 trucks whiz by.

here are some pics of the festivities. i wanted to take a pic of one of the party trucks, but they were too fast for me!