the DMZ

susan and i took a day trip with the USO to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) right on the border between North and South Korea. it was fascinating, tense, and sad. our grandparents' hometown is actually located in North Korea (pre-war time). During the war, my grandparents (on both sides) fled to the south. my dad's mother was actually pregnant with my father when she tried to cross the border. fortunately, all of my grandparents successfully crossed the border to safety.

While on our drive, we passed through a village called "Reunification Village" where all families must be in their homes with doors and windows sealed at dark since this village would be most vulnerable to a North Korean attack being so near the DMZ. The village area is not under the jurisdiction of South Korea (?) so the citizens there have no obligation to pay taxes or serve the army (All South Korean men have a military requirement of 22 months.)

Korea is the only nation to remain divided. The tension between both nations is palpitable. We were warned very strongly by both our Korean tour guide (who spoke english) and our U.S. soldier tour guide that we were not permitted to take photos unless given permission to do so. During the tour we saw the JSA, the area where North Korean and South Korean leaders meet for negotiations. We actually saw North Korean soldiers standing on the steps of their building with binoculars in their hands. Apparently, the North Korean building, which faces the South Korean building, has many cameras that take photos of the DMZ tourists to use as negative propaganda against the rest of the world. Our U.S. tour guide told us very sternly that we "do NOT make any gesture of ANY kind toward the North Korean soldiers. We will NOT communicate with them in ANY way as they will react if they EVER feel any sort of threat." One of the North Korean guards actually waved toward us, perhaps to get a rise out of us tourists? We were told North Korean men have a military obligation of 8-10 years! Also, the North Korean soldiers that are visible to South Korea are said to be well-fed to give a good impression of their country, though much of the country is impoverished and hungry.

We were able to take photos inside the JSA where South Korean soldiers stand guard. All Korean soldiers that work at the DMZ must possess at least a black belt in TaeKwonDo. One soldier I took a picture of had a black belt in TaeKwonDo, Jiujitsu, and Hapkido. U.S. Soldiers also are also placed there based on their excellent records and abilities.

It was a chilling sight to see such tension, even in their stance. I suppose witnessing such intensity made me realize how hostile the relationship between North Korea and much of the world remains.

this photo is of the North Korean building. You can see a soldier standing at the top of the steps. He must have found all of us very interesting as he continued to look at us through his binoculars.

North Korean money I got from the DMZ shop. The photo is of Kim Il Sung, the father of the current dictator, Kim Jong Il.

Susan is standing at the Dora Observatory, which is a lookout point that juts out, very near the border of North Korea. It is said that on a clear day you can see where Kim Jong Il has erected his own gigantic bronze statue of himself very easily with binoculars. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day, so we couldn't seen a lot, but we were able to see the Wildlife Sanctuary between North and South Korea where various plants and animals of endangered species have thrived since no human contact has been made in the forest for over 56 years.

it was a sobering experience. i imagine we have family that still exist in North Korea and may not see them or ever know them. Not just our family, but hundreds of thousands of families were separated and long to see one another. I pray for a peaceful reunion and evil to be defeated.

daegu

in daegu, susan and i went on various larks. since peter has to work during the day, we did many things on our own. we went to various markets to buy gifts for when she returned home, went to the spa for some pampering, got our hair cut and permed (not such a good idea after all...), visited the downtown area for people watching and shopping, went to a daegu baseball game, rode the city buses for the first time (trying to figure out their routes was like trying to solve a rubix cube), and climbed Mount Apsan.

the mountain climb was fun and tough. i read somewhere it is a 20% grade mountain; the hike was at an incline the whole way up. i learned from our tour book that Mt. Apsan is where avid hikers go as it is quite beautiful. the entire hike took us 4-5 hours. while going up the mountain there would be several little "rest stops" which were actually outdoor gyms with free weights and elliptical machines. maybe i'm just lazy, but i don't think i'd hike for 2 hours to use the outdoor machines to exercise some more, but i'd really like to high-five the people who do. : )

another interesting observation were the lack of people climbing up the mountain alongside us, but we'd see several "ajummas" = middle aged ladies, sitting on blankets with picnics or playing cards with their friends on the edge of a jagged cliff. it was an odd sight since the mountain is on an incline the whole way up so they'd be perched in crevices or jutting rocks in the mountain like little birds in a nest. less than half the way up the mountain, the trails were not clearly marked and several boulders lined the paths so much of the "hike" was actually rock climbing. i wondered how all the ajummas got up here... the hike wore us out! nearing the top there were tons of stairs leading to the peak of the mountain. i hummed the rocky song while shaking my fist in the air....our victory to the top!

the view at the top of mountain was beautiful. unfortunately i didn't bring my camera since it's so bulky. but susan had hers with her. i'll have to steal a photo or two and will post later.

this is a little shop in downtown daegu that serves drinks in ziplock baggies. it has a cool vintage art feel to it. i'd like to go back again.

ulsan and gyeongju

our uncle, weh sahmchoon, my mother's oldest brother lives in ulsan, just 1.5 hours away from daegu. on occasion he and his wife make the drive out to daegu to take peter and i out to lunch. since susan was here, they came and took us to a yummy lunch and invited us to come to ulsan where he could show us around. peter, susan, and i drove down to ulsan and stayed one evening at their home.

ulsan was breathtakingly beautiful. it is situated right on the eastern coastline (on the southern end). the beaches are rocky and the water is a rich greenish purplish blue. i could have perched myself on a rock for hours just listening to the crash of the waves.

the second day of our trip we visited gyeongju. since it is only a 30 minute drive from ulsan, my uncle and aunt frequent the area for golf or the spa and know a great deal about the history.

the city of gyeongju is quite famous for its history. It was the home of the Silla dynasty and so possesses numerous ancient tourist spots. within the city are several famous temples, buddhist pagodas, and burial mounds.

my uncle, who is in his mid 70's has the energy of a 12 year-old and, in true korean fashion, wanted to show us as much as possible. we probably hit a dozen or so famous spots within ulsan and gyeongju in less than two days. it was fun, gorgeous, busy, and at the end of the day, we were beat. there were dozens and dozens of postcard perfect views of the ocean and the huge jutting boulders in the water. i'd like to go back again, but maybe for a relaxing lunch and nap instead. : )

here you'll see some female divers dressed in wet suits. in a few areas of Korea there are famous female divers located in Jeju Island, at times known as "mermaids" who are known for the ability to hold their breath for 2 or 3 minutes at at time. They use no special breathing apparatus, only a floater to help them locate where they need to surface. they dive many feet to dig up clams, abalone, and other seafood. as you can imagine, this sport is extremely dangerous, nevertheless, many of the divers are middle aged. i once saw a lady on television in her 80's still diving! you can read more here:

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309618

susan's visit

for those of you who didn't know already, my sister came to visit from seattle. we had a lot of fun together and traveled throughout the country. she left only today after a four-week visit. it was nice to have her here with us to show her our city and also have a traveling partner. we did so much i think i'll have to post several blogs to describe our experiences.

coming soon

dear friends.

i haven't forgotten about you. I have lots of stories and photos to share and will post soon!

scrub a dub dub

one of the musts when visiting korea is going to a spa. they are incredibly popular among the natives and very affordable. one of my friends, who is a native, invited me and two other ladies to go to a spa in chungdo. it's a well-known facility and i understand why. it was beautiful, nestled among the mountains, in the middle of the gorgeous korean countryside. the facility itself is sleek, clean, and luxurious. the spa has tons of saunas, natural spring water pools infused with precious rocks that are said to give your body all kinds of strength to fend off any diseases and give your skin a glow. there are pools of hot water, cold water, warm water, waterfalls, etc. it's amazing.

i was very excited about going to the spa, but i was nervous about one thing: what you wear or rather what you don't wear. in order to go into the spa you don't wear anything. just the birthday suit. (!) this is quite difficult for a westerner, but koreans are quite used to it. once you get over the initial shock of being naked in front of strangers, the experience is exhilarating. the water feels phenomenal. some of the pools were on the rooftop so you could rest with a view of the mountains, orchards, and farm land. my girlfriends and i got a facial and body massage and scrub. ladies work hard to scrub you of any possible dead skin so you leave with an amazing glow and feel baby soft. i'd have to say the amazing relaxation and benefits far outweighed the awkwardness.

afterward we had a delicious lunch of bbq and lettuce wraps, and took a short tour of a wine tunnel. mingki, our tour guide, was wonderful. she laid on her charm and got the four of us great deals, free extra stuff, and she even talked someone into giving us a ride to the train station. (don't worry, hitchhiking in the country is pretty common and very safe : )

all in all, this is definitely a day I wouldn't mind repeating.

step up to the microphone

we finally did it. we went to a "noraebang"...the ubiquitous karaoke room. i had been holding off on going since we've arrived. the cheesy synthesizer accompaniments, disco balls, and microphones with way too much reverb....it's a bit too much for me. however, our new friends made it all worthwhile and pretty fun.

we were kindly invited by peter's coworker, a korean national. he took us to a tasty dinner of korean bbq and lettuce wraps. he was a generous host, encouraging us to eat to our heart's content. he also invited a couple other korean nationals who work on the U.S. army post. the dinner conversation was light, playful, and interesting. it was good practice for learning about korean hospitality and dining etiquette. we toasted one another about every 5 minutes celebrating and wishing each other all of life's happiness, health, and in the words of our gracious host, "to have a good time." a good time was had by all. we were asked if we wanted to go to the noraebang. one of the other guests, ms. k, quickly responded to the idea with a "i'd rather not. i hate karaoke!" I replied we hadn't been yet. our host quickly fired back, "“You haven’t gone to a noraebang? Then you have to go!!” We were cornered : )

it was an experience to be had. that's for sure. we just walked a couple blocks away to a nearby karaoke room (these things are literally on every street corner in korea). We entered this empty basement to find a middle-aged man to greet us. He looked like he was bored and had been doing sudokus for the past seven hours and was, as a result, very happy to see other human beings in this dark, quiet basement. We chose our room and after the traditional tug of war game of who’s paying, we entered our disco ball lit room with vinyl booths. Inside the room is a massive remote control and two binders, each weighing about 10 pounds of lists and lists of Korean and other international songs. This was serious stuff. We made a few selections. our friends take karaoking quite seriously, but in a good way. You simply pick a song and sing…there is not question of do I know all of the song? Do I really know the melody? Instead, it’s a simple..”I think I’ve heard this song before…I’ll sing it.” The binders had “American” sections, but it appeared the book hadn’t been truly updated since 1976 with a few eminem and Justin timberlake numbers thrown in. of course, within the first few minutes of being in the room, we were encouraged, rather pulled toward the front of the room, mic shoved under our chins and urged to pick a song quickly. I seemed to have a niche for picking songs that seemed to have endless choruses..you know the song that never really ends, but just fades out? Well, with karaoke, you just keep repeating and repeating until your voice gives out from fatigue…a natural form of fading. I naively chose “happy day” as it was the only song from the book that I seemed to recognize before mr. p, our host, chided me for taking so long. I ended up singing or rather mumbling along. It was some “choral” version of the piece that was clearly not intended to be a solo. Nonetheless, our friends waved their arms with huge smiles on their faces as supportive fans/listeners to my terrible rendition of karaoke. Snacks and drinks were brought in and I sat back, clapped, danced and watched as my friends and myself sang various oldies and tried to sing along to some of the Korean songs as best as I could..considering it was the first time I had heard them.

Peter had his turn at the mic also. our friends grabbed peter’s shoulder and sang along to “hey jude” and “what a wonderful world”. During slow songs mr. p would grab my and peter’s hands and pull them together, his way of asking us to slow dance. And to top the night off, as tribute to the late Michael Jackson, we sang “we are the world”. Clearly, none of us knew the song, but that didn’t stop us from still closing our eyes, raising a fist in the air and mumbling our self-created words and melodies with intense passion. We did know the chorus and would enter it with huge enthusiasm. After all, the chorus of that song is only a couple lines, so we had to make it count.

All in all, it was a really fun evening. a few days later, mr. p invited us again to have dinner & karaoke but this time with a couple other korean nationals who work on post, peter's new commander and his wife. the evening was quite similar and also very enjoyable. in fact, we ended up going to the same noraebang. we concluded the evening with "we are the world" again by request of mr. s, a fun, easygoing fellow who was adamant that i call him 'uncle' (an example of korean hospitality).

we all stood together side by side, arms locked around one another's shoulders. koreans and americans singing together under the disco lights. cheesy? yes. memorable and worthwhile? absolutely.