The election closed last night. It was a close race, and the outcome was heavily anticipated, but the winner who emerged was Saenuri's Park Geun-Hye with 51.6 percent. The turn-out for this election was the largest it had been in 15 years, with 75.8 percent of the eligible population voting. After winning, she gave no big, formal speech, but thanked her supporters and acknowledged her opponents.
Park Geun-Hye said that visiting the graves of her parents would be the first thing she would do after winning the election. Following their footsteps, she will soon move into the Blue House. She and her supporters hope to unify Koreans and bring happiness to the people and prosperity to the economy.
Still, as the days lead to her occupying office, there are definite concerns she must deal with:
-the slowing economic growth
-the disappearing middle-class
-relations with North Korea
-welfare for a 'rapidly aging population'
There is a debate on whether she can handle these issues, but her supporters are sure that she is capable. I understand that I am an outsider, and thus have little insight into the matter, but what I wonder is how much of their faith in her is due to her father? An article from The Guardian quotes a woman saying, '"She will save our country. Her father rescued the country."' Can she live up to her father's name? The economy-saving bit only, of course...
Her father aside, will she herself be able to step up to the plate? For the sake of Korea, I hope so.
I understand the bitterness that some supporters of Moon Jae-In must be feeling right now. It's hard to rally behind a president that you did not elect, a president in whom you don't have faith. I hope she earns it. I hope she fulfills the promises she made during her candidacy.
Good luck, Korea! 대한민국 화이팅!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
2012 South Korean Presidential Elections
Here in South Korea these days, one can see banners with candidate names and numbers and groups of supporters singing and chanting as the election day draws near. The 18th presidential election will take place December 19, 2012. Under what is now the sixth constitution since the split of the Koreas, the president may only hold a single term of five years.
I've been quite curious about the policies of all running candidates, as well as how the election process itself works. One thing I've seen and fully support is the prominence of multiple parties (more than two), although there are three major parties. And even within the parties the mindsets of the members differ slightly. There are seven names on the ballot- one from each of the major parties, and four independents.
The current/former president, Lee Myung-Bak, is of the Saenuri party. He came to the position with 70% approval, although earlier this year it had fallen to 30% approval. He feels that English education can aid in the road to success. He also supported the South Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement, and was a part of the Jeju-do Naval Base (quite controversial).
Also in the Saenuri party is Park Geun-Hye. Prior to this year, the party was actually called the Grand National Party, but there was a lot of fighting within the party and a few image problems. From what I have read, it seems that several other things in the party have changed since she gained control of the party. With Lee Myung-Bak's ratings, it makes sense that she would want to distance herself from his image. There is much support for her, as her father Park Chung-Hee was a former president (some use 'dictator' instead) and her parents were assassinated, and much distaste for her. The distaste comes from her "secretive ways" and lack of knowledge of working class life. Here is an excerpt I found on a Wiki article about the 2012 election:
"..during another debate on Aug. 8, the moderator asked Park the minimum hourly rate for a part-time worker as of 2012. Park replied “I think it’s over 5,000 won, isn’t it?,” when the legal minimum wage was 4,580 won. In response, The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions responded with a statement in which it said, “It is terribly discouraging when a person who wants to become president does not even know the country’s minimum wage, which is a minimal right for survival and the first step toward a welfare state.”"
Still, she would like to win the trust of the public and serve the people. Her slogan this election is, " A Country Where My Dreams Can Come True / Readied Female President."
I think the story of her father is interesting, though, so I'm going to talk about that for a bit... Her father seized power with a military coup/revolution in 1961 for the sake of the country (he completely turned around the economy for the better). Her mother was shot in 1974, leaving her to act as the First Lady until her father was assassinated by his chief spy in 1979 (after losing the election, he rewrote the constitution to give himself further ruling). According to an article on channelnewsasia.com, "Many in South Korea acknowledge her father's contributions to the Korean economy, though many also remember a long history of torture and other abuses of power under his rule."
So that is the story of Saenuri's Park Geun-Hye, a front-runner of this election. Her biggest competition, the other runner at the front, actually used to protest the rule of her father. His name is Moon Jae-In. The former student activist said, "When I was living in poverty, she was living the life of a princess in the Blue House... When I was fighting against dictatorship, she was at the heart of it."
Juicy, isn't it?
Moon Jae-In belongs to the United Democratic Party. He, too, is known by the public as he was Chief of Staff to Roh Moon-Hyun, the president before the current Lee Myung-Bak. Being well-known is great, but Roh Moon-Hyun left a pretty sour position for Moon Jae-In to be in... While Roh was in office, his support fell drastically. He couldn't seem to complete projects, turned on his supporters, and was persecuted by the conservative party. Even after his term ended he was investigated for bribery charges. The ill sentiments once held toward Roh are now being used as spectacles for looking at Moon Jae-In. His slogan this election is, "People come first."
Reports say that the youth (as always, isn't it?) will be the biggest pull in who wins the election. The way it works in Korea is that whoever wins the most votes wins the presidency- they have a first-past-the-post system in place. Park is currently in the lead, but Moon is not far behind.
Great! This is really interesting, but still... What I want to know are their personal policies. The Prime Minister, even if he has to be approved by the National Assembly-the legislature of 299 seats, is still appointed by the president. I'm finding it difficult to find personal stances, but the positions each party general holds is easy to find.
As it is elsewhere, general policies can be aligned with their party. Let's take a look at the three major parties (basically a summary from Daily Kos):
Saenuri- conservative. They favor big business, especially toward family-owned conglomerates such as LG, Samsung, and Hyundai. Many of these companies also have a family member serving as an assembly member. They are anti-North Korea, anti-communism, and pro-America, so they support the SK-US Free Trade Agreement. They desire an export-driven economy, subsidies, and tax breaks. Their popularity is with older generations and southeastern provinces.
Democratic United Party- liberal. They favor greater regulations of these family-owned conglomerates and are against free trade agreements. They support smaller business who get pushed out because of big business, and have ties to more moderate trade unions. They would also like to "thaw" relations with North Korea a bit, and they have mixed feelings concerning the presence of the US military. Their popularity is with younger generations and southwestern provinces.
Unified Progressive Party- progressive. Here we find those who support and are supported by leftist trade unions and often farmers, who are at the mercy of big business and the government, both of which consume their land as the country is small and land is important. Cheap imports also cause trouble to such people. They have pro-North Korea sentiments, and are anti-American -mostly concerning the economy and business.
Socially, there is less of a difference between parties. Abortion is illegal unless it is to save a woman's life and homosexuality is a taboo topic- 30% of the population is Christian, and I'm sure that this is at least a bit of the reason.
I'm sure it would be nice to vote for a candidate based purely on their business and economic policies... Since, you know, that's what their job is. As an outsider, it seems more cut-and-dry than our messy socially-driven elections.
Anyway, that's what I was able to find today. It's not exactly what I was looking for, but I feel more well-informed. And that's never a bad thing.
Here are the links I looked at today in case anyone is curious or wants to know more:
I'll post again if I find anything else that I feel is relevant, and I definitely want to post about the results!
-Kaitlin
Friday, December 7, 2012
November December
Greetings, everyone!
I write to you from my heated classroom on this cold, snowy day. Today was our third real day of it snowing. Time to travel is increased, and the snow hurts when it gets in your eyes, but hey- that's what umbrellas are for.
It's also quite beautiful outside... I always admire the pre-Christmas snow. After that I would prefer it to go away, but Mother Nature has yet to listen to my requests.
Since the last blog I penned, my birthday, Thanksgiving, and the entrance into a new month have all passed. My birthday was really nice! My friends came over and we drank wine, ate cake, pizza, chicken, apple cobbler, and ice cream... I'm so thankful for the people I've met here!
Speaking of being thankful, a group of us went out to an Indian restaurant for American Thanksgiving. We cooked for the Canadian one, and we'd like to cook for Christmas, so November became break time. PLUS, everyone loves Indian food. (From the country, India.)
With November rolling up nicely, I began my first winter in Korea. It's cold. But it's not too bad... Thankfully I'm used to cold weather! If it keeps getting colder, though, I'm going to look like that poor little brother in A Christmas Story...
..Except that only the classrooms at school are heated. Not the school itself.
Another thing that has begun this month is my Korean class! I'm finally in one... It's at the same school as before, Sogang University in Seoul. Currently, we're learning future tense, how to ask/say if we're able to do something, and describe things and places. It's nice! Some words and sentences still feel like tongue-twisters, but it'll be such a great help if I study!
Ah! I know that elections back in the States just ended, but the date is approaching here in Korea. Walking the streets you will come upon banners with candidate names, or see people singing for or promoting their preferred candidate. It's interesting. I haven't looked into their policies regarding English education through native speakers or other policies that would affect foreigners living in Korea, but it is something I'd like to do.
One of my third graders already knows who he's going to vote for ;)
Aaaaaaannd, I will indeed be staying for another year. Because my contract ends the day before my next contract begins, I will be visiting the States in January. An awful time, really, as far as the weather goes... But what can ya do? It'll be so great to see my family and friends in the US again. Although, I don't know how I'll feel about being back. I'm quite curious to see. Like I'll be studying myself in an experiment where I am the constant, and my location is the changing variable. How will it feel to understand every conversation I hear? Noisy? Loud? Comforting? ..I don't really think it'll be the last one. I'd be shocked if that were true, honestly. I have a certain idea of how it will feel, but I know that it could turn out to be very different. All I can do is wait and experience it, I guess!
But, man, am I looking forward to sales racks and thrift stores! And cheap fruit. And places that are heated everywhere I go. But, ohhh, the time difference... humbug
I'll write about Christmas later. It's sad not being able to spend it with family... I'll miss the trip to and the time in New York, the tree we put up every year, seeing how many bows I can stick to my head, eating way too much food, and just talking with all of my family. I'll have a good one here, I'm sure, though. So I'll make it through :)
XOXOX
I write to you from my heated classroom on this cold, snowy day. Today was our third real day of it snowing. Time to travel is increased, and the snow hurts when it gets in your eyes, but hey- that's what umbrellas are for.
It's also quite beautiful outside... I always admire the pre-Christmas snow. After that I would prefer it to go away, but Mother Nature has yet to listen to my requests.
Since the last blog I penned, my birthday, Thanksgiving, and the entrance into a new month have all passed. My birthday was really nice! My friends came over and we drank wine, ate cake, pizza, chicken, apple cobbler, and ice cream... I'm so thankful for the people I've met here!
Speaking of being thankful, a group of us went out to an Indian restaurant for American Thanksgiving. We cooked for the Canadian one, and we'd like to cook for Christmas, so November became break time. PLUS, everyone loves Indian food. (From the country, India.)
With November rolling up nicely, I began my first winter in Korea. It's cold. But it's not too bad... Thankfully I'm used to cold weather! If it keeps getting colder, though, I'm going to look like that poor little brother in A Christmas Story...
..Except that only the classrooms at school are heated. Not the school itself.
Another thing that has begun this month is my Korean class! I'm finally in one... It's at the same school as before, Sogang University in Seoul. Currently, we're learning future tense, how to ask/say if we're able to do something, and describe things and places. It's nice! Some words and sentences still feel like tongue-twisters, but it'll be such a great help if I study!
Ah! I know that elections back in the States just ended, but the date is approaching here in Korea. Walking the streets you will come upon banners with candidate names, or see people singing for or promoting their preferred candidate. It's interesting. I haven't looked into their policies regarding English education through native speakers or other policies that would affect foreigners living in Korea, but it is something I'd like to do.
One of my third graders already knows who he's going to vote for ;)
Aaaaaaannd, I will indeed be staying for another year. Because my contract ends the day before my next contract begins, I will be visiting the States in January. An awful time, really, as far as the weather goes... But what can ya do? It'll be so great to see my family and friends in the US again. Although, I don't know how I'll feel about being back. I'm quite curious to see. Like I'll be studying myself in an experiment where I am the constant, and my location is the changing variable. How will it feel to understand every conversation I hear? Noisy? Loud? Comforting? ..I don't really think it'll be the last one. I'd be shocked if that were true, honestly. I have a certain idea of how it will feel, but I know that it could turn out to be very different. All I can do is wait and experience it, I guess!
But, man, am I looking forward to sales racks and thrift stores! And cheap fruit. And places that are heated everywhere I go. But, ohhh, the time difference... humbug
I'll write about Christmas later. It's sad not being able to spend it with family... I'll miss the trip to and the time in New York, the tree we put up every year, seeing how many bows I can stick to my head, eating way too much food, and just talking with all of my family. I'll have a good one here, I'm sure, though. So I'll make it through :)
XOXOX
Monday, November 19, 2012
A Weekend in Gyeogju
I have been slacking...seriously slacking. And for that, I do apologize.You know, to this day I still want to spell it 'apollogize'. Auto-correct is the only thing that reminds me it's otherwise. Everyone has one of those words, right?
But. Back to the topic... I went to a little place on the other end of the country from Seoul many moons ago (Oct20). It is called Gyeongju, and it is an area where one can see the traditions of Korea. It's lovely, really... I adore the older style of architecture.
I did write a journal for a bit on this trip, and I'm going to share it whether you like it or not. Since I starting writing quite early, I do believe at least the first half will be entertaining.
And so it begins...
4:30- wake-up, pack, shower, and get ready
6:00- leave for bucheon station (부천역)
Everything on the bus goes creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak...
6:20- get on subway and be surrounded by people in hiking gear
Too early. I saw a ton of tanks and a subway train full of military personnel stopped in oryudong (오류동). I transferred twice and am now sitting on a bus in indeogwon (인덕원) with a name tag. I still don't really care for name tags... It's ten to eight. We'll be leaving in 10, I think.
After getting on the bus, we heard from the lady with the tour group, Cecilia, and then watched a UNESCO video about the cultural and historical aspects of Gyeongju. Ha, I found it pretty amusing when Cecilia's talked turned to how you're supposed to drink soju. 8:15 in the morning and we're talking about how to drink soju! (Careful or you'll get drunk quickly. Also, it's clear so you can pretend its water.) Mind you, I was terribly tired, so that might not have been what she actually said.
Because Gyeongju is a long trip (bottom up, it goes Busan, Ulsan, and then Gyeongju at the bottom of Gyeongbuk Province- if you follow the eastern coastline), we are going to stop halfway there. Which is GREAT because I drank copious amounts of coffee this morning :D
This is going to be a long post. Just pretend like I'm letting you in on my Dear Diary... Or that I'm talking to you personally :)
Lunch in Andong (안동)! We ate salted mackerel and Andong jjimdalk (안동찜닭), which is a local specialty involving chicken and potatoes. It's sooo good! Then, we took a shuttle to Hahoe Folk Village (하회마을) where members of the Ryu clan have lived for a loong time. Beautiful, but we couldn't spend much time there, unfortunately.
Two hours to Gyeongju National Museum. We are set to spend an hour there. Hopefully we're able to be there for the full time. Traffic to Andong was pretty bad...
<Insert> The museum was pretty cool. I bought a book that was a transcribed lecture about Korean paintings. It's so interesting!! In the museum, there were many different Buddhist statues and relics. Of course, there were also tools from the area that were developed over time and later excavated. <End of insert>
Stayed at the Commodore- beautifully lit at night. Buffet breakfast!! Went to a temple- the Buddhas were really cool to see! They were golden with lovely paintings behind them. The incense smelt great, too. Relaxing... Then we moved on to watch a traditional wedding ceremony. We saw the traditional way to make rice cakes, too! (Not the Quaker Oats kind. The sticky pulverized rice kind.) Then we ate bulgogi for lunch. After lunch we watched 'Flying', a mostly non-speaking performance. It was awesome. Like, seriously, watch it if you find the means to. I was laughing so hard!
Now, at 4:30, we're heading home.
Traffic is supposed to be bad again, so we may not get in to indeogwon till 9:30, which means Bucheon at 10:50ish. Ouch.
End
My trip to Gyeongju was a really great experience. I know I've uploaded the pictures to facebook already. Ha, I had to select just a few. I took sosososo many pictures that weekend...
I do wish that I had typed this up after it happened. Maybe my vitamin D is low again? I have vitamins that I don't take. Haven't changed very much there!
Quite a bit has happened since, though... The students here put on an exhibition, in Korean it's called a hak-ye-hwoe (학예회). There was dancing, acting, sign language, singing, and the playing of several instruments such as the tambourine, recorder, violin, and flute. There was a flash-mob style dance from one sixth grade class, and a script including voice-over acting, jump roping, taekwondo, violin, and dancing. The younger grades were so cute to watch! One of the third grade classes danced to 'Hey Mickey'... So, so precious...
I will write another post soon about how my birthday in Korea has been! Promise I won't take a month this time!
But. Back to the topic... I went to a little place on the other end of the country from Seoul many moons ago (Oct20). It is called Gyeongju, and it is an area where one can see the traditions of Korea. It's lovely, really... I adore the older style of architecture.
I did write a journal for a bit on this trip, and I'm going to share it whether you like it or not. Since I starting writing quite early, I do believe at least the first half will be entertaining.
And so it begins...
4:30- wake-up, pack, shower, and get ready
6:00- leave for bucheon station (부천역)
Everything on the bus goes creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak...
6:20- get on subway and be surrounded by people in hiking gear
Too early. I saw a ton of tanks and a subway train full of military personnel stopped in oryudong (오류동). I transferred twice and am now sitting on a bus in indeogwon (인덕원) with a name tag. I still don't really care for name tags... It's ten to eight. We'll be leaving in 10, I think.
After getting on the bus, we heard from the lady with the tour group, Cecilia, and then watched a UNESCO video about the cultural and historical aspects of Gyeongju. Ha, I found it pretty amusing when Cecilia's talked turned to how you're supposed to drink soju. 8:15 in the morning and we're talking about how to drink soju! (Careful or you'll get drunk quickly. Also, it's clear so you can pretend its water.) Mind you, I was terribly tired, so that might not have been what she actually said.
Because Gyeongju is a long trip (bottom up, it goes Busan, Ulsan, and then Gyeongju at the bottom of Gyeongbuk Province- if you follow the eastern coastline), we are going to stop halfway there. Which is GREAT because I drank copious amounts of coffee this morning :D
This is going to be a long post. Just pretend like I'm letting you in on my Dear Diary... Or that I'm talking to you personally :)
Lunch in Andong (안동)! We ate salted mackerel and Andong jjimdalk (안동찜닭), which is a local specialty involving chicken and potatoes. It's sooo good! Then, we took a shuttle to Hahoe Folk Village (하회마을) where members of the Ryu clan have lived for a loong time. Beautiful, but we couldn't spend much time there, unfortunately.
Two hours to Gyeongju National Museum. We are set to spend an hour there. Hopefully we're able to be there for the full time. Traffic to Andong was pretty bad...
<Insert> The museum was pretty cool. I bought a book that was a transcribed lecture about Korean paintings. It's so interesting!! In the museum, there were many different Buddhist statues and relics. Of course, there were also tools from the area that were developed over time and later excavated. <End of insert>
Stayed at the Commodore- beautifully lit at night. Buffet breakfast!! Went to a temple- the Buddhas were really cool to see! They were golden with lovely paintings behind them. The incense smelt great, too. Relaxing... Then we moved on to watch a traditional wedding ceremony. We saw the traditional way to make rice cakes, too! (Not the Quaker Oats kind. The sticky pulverized rice kind.) Then we ate bulgogi for lunch. After lunch we watched 'Flying', a mostly non-speaking performance. It was awesome. Like, seriously, watch it if you find the means to. I was laughing so hard!
Now, at 4:30, we're heading home.
Traffic is supposed to be bad again, so we may not get in to indeogwon till 9:30, which means Bucheon at 10:50ish. Ouch.
End
My trip to Gyeongju was a really great experience. I know I've uploaded the pictures to facebook already. Ha, I had to select just a few. I took sosososo many pictures that weekend...
I do wish that I had typed this up after it happened. Maybe my vitamin D is low again? I have vitamins that I don't take. Haven't changed very much there!
Quite a bit has happened since, though... The students here put on an exhibition, in Korean it's called a hak-ye-hwoe (학예회). There was dancing, acting, sign language, singing, and the playing of several instruments such as the tambourine, recorder, violin, and flute. There was a flash-mob style dance from one sixth grade class, and a script including voice-over acting, jump roping, taekwondo, violin, and dancing. The younger grades were so cute to watch! One of the third grade classes danced to 'Hey Mickey'... So, so precious...
I will write another post soon about how my birthday in Korea has been! Promise I won't take a month this time!
Friday, October 5, 2012
I Love Busan
I am back from my trip to Busan! Finishing up the last day in this two-day workweek, I am utterly exhausted. I feel like I shouldn't be, since I was on vacation for 5 days and only worked for two. Flip-flop of the usual. My sinuses did start to hit me the day we left, and are still here. I am just exhausted in every way. BUT. My trip was awesome. ^^
As I mentioned, we left Friday evening. It only ended up taking us 6.5 hours to get to Busan by bus!! Amazing. My friends who left Saturday morning said it took them about 9... The hostel was really nice and in a great location to commute to all of the touristy things we wanted to see. Seomyeon, the area we stayed in, has a transfer subway (where two lines meet and you can get on either). Some things we wanted to see were on one line, and some on the other. Perfect!
On Saturday we went to the Busan Aquarium. I. LOVE. IT. Seriously, I could spend an entire day there. Maybe more. I have so many pictures, and quite a few minutes of video, so I think I'm going to make a separate video for the aquarium. Unfortunately, I am having issues getting a video segment onto my computer... So it may be a bit before I actually get that one up. Anywho, the aquarium is located in Haeundae. There is also a wonderful beach there, which you can be sure we took advantage of!
We also hit the Busan Museum of Art. It was a fairly modern/contemporary gallery, so if you do go please don't think it is a traditional museum. Those do exist, though. The artwork itself was quite powerful, a lot of the pieces dealing with relatively heavy issues. Still, captivating and well-done.
After that, we went to a wax gallery, Madame Tussauds, located in Shinsegae (still in Haeundae)! It was totally creepy! But it was also a needed pick-me-up after the weight of the gallery. We took pictures with Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Lady GaGa, Madonna, and more... Oh, Audrey Hepburn. I have to mention her. Breakfast At Tiffany's. You know...
We then went back to the beach. The street that followed the coastline was numbered with musicians, and we sat right behind a duo. They were pretty decent, and it was fun to sing along to the songs I knew. :)
Our second day, Sunday, we caught the other line and headed toward Jongang Station, near to Gukje Markets, the Memorial for the War Dead, Busan Tower, Shanghai Street, and a foreign food street. It's a really cool area... Because we were in the tourist area, and it was our first time, there was so much to do! Although, because it was Chuseok, the city was empty. Even on Saturday in Haeundae, it was EMPTY.
After the sun set we went to Gwangali Beach and saw the Diamond Bridge! It was beautiful!! The buildings on each side were also stunningly lit. We sat around there for a while before we set off to meet up with friends in the Kyeongseong University area.
Monday we took it easy. We sat out on Haeundae beach, went to Vesta Spa (nude) where we could watch the sun set out of the windows... It was phenomenal. You could see Gwangali and Haeundae from the spa!
There was a little sauna room, too, where there was red ginger being heated, and BOY did that clear out my sinuses!
OH, it was such a lovely trip! We took the regular train on the way back, getting off right as the train entered Seoul. The entire trip from Busan to Seoul that way took about 6 hours. I would love to go back and see more of Busan! I actually wouldn't mind teaching around there... But with EPIK you cannot choose where you want to be. You can have preferences, but there is no guarantee you will be placed in that city. Also, even if I am fortunate enough to end up in Busan, I could be in the middle of nowhere and hours away from the sights I've talked about. Still, change of pace.
I will find out next month if my school will have the budget to keep me on for another year. I hope they do, as I really like working here! But I've started to think about options in case they can't. But that's all a different topic.
I will post the videos when I get them done!
Take care everyone!!
:)
PS- if you have any questions, please post them!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Happy Chuseok
Happy Chuseok, everyone! 메리 추석 여리분! 저는 내일 부천에서 부산까지 갈 거예요... ^^ Tomorrow I am leaving Bucheon to go to Busan... :) This will be my first trip there, and I'm so excited!
I would like to write a blog post about my adventures, but for the sake of not making the post terribly long (and satiating my current desire to write), I am going to write about the pre-trip everythings right now :)
I can't take much credit for the planning, though. My friend that I am travelling with handled it all. I'm so lucky! And inherently lazy. So I'm really lucky...
(Transportation)
But! Down to business. We are leaving from Sopoong Bus Terminal (소풍터미널) tomorrow at 5:50 pm. It's fortunate that we have a big terminal so close, because the only other terminal I am currently aware of is in Gangnam, which is to the northeast of Bucheon (ohhhh, backtracking). We just need to go down for what everyone is saying will be around 8-9 hours. It's great living so near to Seoul, but because everyone else thinks that too, it means that everyone else will also be travelling south to visit their families this weekend.
No, it isn't always that long of a trip. The traffic lengthens the bus ride, but there is also an express train, the KTX, that can get you from Seoul to Busan in three or four hours. Why didn't we choose that? It sells out pretty quickly around Chuseok, it seems. The bus is quite a bit cheaper, though. Each way costs less than 30,000 won ($28.00, maybe?). I believe the KTX runs about 60,000 won each way...
Yeah, buses! Another awesome thing about Sopoong is that it is attached to a huge shopping center, theater, and grocery store, not to mention the coffee shops running along the outside of the building. Delightful <3. So I'm probably going to swing into Kim's Club (food) to get things for the road. No coffee. No tea. No soda. Only one bathroom break. And I ALWAYS have to pee as soon as we start driving. Like clockwork, baby.
(Accommodation)
But once we get there we have a really cool hostel to stay at. And I mean, like, phenomenal. At least that's what I've heard :). It's called Zen Backpackers and is located in Seomyeon (서면), Busan. All of the reviews are more than positive, loving both the hostel and its owner. He offers tarot card reading, hand acupuncture, and a super groovy living space. If you want to check out the website for this hostel, please click here. It costs either 30,000 won or 22,000 won per night depending on the type of room you choose. There is complementary breakfast, a kitchen area with a microwave, stove, oven, rice cooker, and dishwasher, along with a good-sized plasma TV with a selection of movies to watch. He also offers acoustic guitar lessons and a few other things. I'll let you read them on the site if you're interested.
He has such a good reputation, though, because he gets involved with those who stay in his hostel. If he is free, I've heard that he'll go around and show you (or just tell you) all of the places you need to see. And the location of this hostel is another perk. It's a ten minute walk away from the subway, and right by a great neighborhood to go out in (day and night)!
(Activities)
So what are we going to do once we get there? ...I don't know, actually. Hahaha, there is so much to do! And so much to see! But this is a vacation, so I'd rather have a few things in mind and then just see what we feel like doing at the time. Reelaaaaax a bit. There are some helpful websites to look at if you ever want to go yourself.
Here are links:
Top10 and Then Some
Oh, the Places to Go
BestBest
I liked picking through those links, and I hope they will prove useful and interesting for others, as well. Ha, for the link names I just pictured my parents trying to remember which link went to which site and having to say my link titles over and over. "No, click 'BestBest'!" Haha. I am a wonderful daughter.
A wonderful daughter who is about to go on a wonderful trip.
Take care and have a great Chuseok! Or just a good weekend for those of you who aren't Korean or in Korea, and won't be practicing Korean Thanksgiving.
:)
I would like to write a blog post about my adventures, but for the sake of not making the post terribly long (and satiating my current desire to write), I am going to write about the pre-trip everythings right now :)
I can't take much credit for the planning, though. My friend that I am travelling with handled it all. I'm so lucky! And inherently lazy. So I'm really lucky...
(Transportation)
But! Down to business. We are leaving from Sopoong Bus Terminal (소풍터미널) tomorrow at 5:50 pm. It's fortunate that we have a big terminal so close, because the only other terminal I am currently aware of is in Gangnam, which is to the northeast of Bucheon (ohhhh, backtracking). We just need to go down for what everyone is saying will be around 8-9 hours. It's great living so near to Seoul, but because everyone else thinks that too, it means that everyone else will also be travelling south to visit their families this weekend.
No, it isn't always that long of a trip. The traffic lengthens the bus ride, but there is also an express train, the KTX, that can get you from Seoul to Busan in three or four hours. Why didn't we choose that? It sells out pretty quickly around Chuseok, it seems. The bus is quite a bit cheaper, though. Each way costs less than 30,000 won ($28.00, maybe?). I believe the KTX runs about 60,000 won each way...
Yeah, buses! Another awesome thing about Sopoong is that it is attached to a huge shopping center, theater, and grocery store, not to mention the coffee shops running along the outside of the building. Delightful <3. So I'm probably going to swing into Kim's Club (food) to get things for the road. No coffee. No tea. No soda. Only one bathroom break. And I ALWAYS have to pee as soon as we start driving. Like clockwork, baby.
(Accommodation)
But once we get there we have a really cool hostel to stay at. And I mean, like, phenomenal. At least that's what I've heard :). It's called Zen Backpackers and is located in Seomyeon (서면), Busan. All of the reviews are more than positive, loving both the hostel and its owner. He offers tarot card reading, hand acupuncture, and a super groovy living space. If you want to check out the website for this hostel, please click here. It costs either 30,000 won or 22,000 won per night depending on the type of room you choose. There is complementary breakfast, a kitchen area with a microwave, stove, oven, rice cooker, and dishwasher, along with a good-sized plasma TV with a selection of movies to watch. He also offers acoustic guitar lessons and a few other things. I'll let you read them on the site if you're interested.
He has such a good reputation, though, because he gets involved with those who stay in his hostel. If he is free, I've heard that he'll go around and show you (or just tell you) all of the places you need to see. And the location of this hostel is another perk. It's a ten minute walk away from the subway, and right by a great neighborhood to go out in (day and night)!
(Activities)
So what are we going to do once we get there? ...I don't know, actually. Hahaha, there is so much to do! And so much to see! But this is a vacation, so I'd rather have a few things in mind and then just see what we feel like doing at the time. Reelaaaaax a bit. There are some helpful websites to look at if you ever want to go yourself.
Here are links:
Top10 and Then Some
Oh, the Places to Go
BestBest
I liked picking through those links, and I hope they will prove useful and interesting for others, as well. Ha, for the link names I just pictured my parents trying to remember which link went to which site and having to say my link titles over and over. "No, click 'BestBest'!" Haha. I am a wonderful daughter.
A wonderful daughter who is about to go on a wonderful trip.
Take care and have a great Chuseok! Or just a good weekend for those of you who aren't Korean or in Korea, and won't be practicing Korean Thanksgiving.
:)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Transportation Observations
So I've been watching for a while, now. It's easy to do, really, when you're in a foreign country that speaks a language you don't... But after six months of observing, I find it's time to share.
First: The Bus.
Buses don't like to stop. Hold on tight. Also, I've found that some of the passengers that I ride with every morning have preferences regarding which side of the bus they sit on. Sounds strange? Maybe it is. But I do understand. You see, the sun shines in really brightly from the right side of the bus in the morning. So the left side is better then. On the way home, it's the opposite. There's one woman who is usually on the bus with me, and one morning I sat next to her (left side). It was in one of the back seats. Halfway through our journey, she got up and sat two rows in front of me. I was taken aback! At first, my thoughts were, "Is she offended that I'm a foreigner? Do I smell? Is my iPod up too loud?" But this morning, she did it again. She was sitting one row in front of me (right side) and got up to move up one row (left side). My philosophy on that is that it's the morning, and I would like to move as little as possible in the morning. Apparently she and others on my bus don't share my anti-morning sentiments.
Also, when I first arrived in Korea, there was a woman I would see walking almost every morning. She has rather sharp features, really. I hadn't seen her for a few months until this morning. I saw her again! It was strangely comforting... Haha (I'm totally not creepy or anything.)
Another thing to note about public transportation is that you don't really raise your voice above a soft indoor voice. Unless you're young and with a bunch of your friends. It's best to take up as little space as possible, too. Common courtesy for those about to sit next to you. :)
Second: The Subway
Not really much different from the bus, except for the fact that it's a really smooth ride. If you stand in line with the direction of the train, you probably won't almost fall. And by that, I mean having one side of your body pointing toward the direction the train is heading, and the other pointed toward the direction the train is leaving. Don't stand facing the direction the train is going. You will end up looking like you're dancing as you try to catch your balance.
The elderly get seats before the young folks, as it should be. Most of the subway rides I've taken I end up standing. I don't really mind, though. Public transportation is like a good lullaby here. If I sit down, I will want to sleep. The subways are clean, and it's not unlikely that there will be someone walking through trying to sell something. Sometimes they're useful items, sometimes they boggle my mind.
Subways are also really fun to watch people fall asleep. Most people are absorbed into their smartphone, but sometimes you get awesome faces on the people who've passed out.
Public transportation here is quite effective. Sure, driving a car yourself or taking a taxi would be the quickest way to get anywhere, but the public transit is cheap and reliable. One thing I do hope I pick up while I'm here, though, is the ability to fall asleep and wake up right before my stop. Like clockwork. I've seen it so many times, and boy am I jealous.
That's it for this post! A bit strange, but I wanted to write something and I don't have anything fun or interesting going on until next weekend when I take a little trip to Busan :)
Bye-Bye
First: The Bus.
Buses don't like to stop. Hold on tight. Also, I've found that some of the passengers that I ride with every morning have preferences regarding which side of the bus they sit on. Sounds strange? Maybe it is. But I do understand. You see, the sun shines in really brightly from the right side of the bus in the morning. So the left side is better then. On the way home, it's the opposite. There's one woman who is usually on the bus with me, and one morning I sat next to her (left side). It was in one of the back seats. Halfway through our journey, she got up and sat two rows in front of me. I was taken aback! At first, my thoughts were, "Is she offended that I'm a foreigner? Do I smell? Is my iPod up too loud?" But this morning, she did it again. She was sitting one row in front of me (right side) and got up to move up one row (left side). My philosophy on that is that it's the morning, and I would like to move as little as possible in the morning. Apparently she and others on my bus don't share my anti-morning sentiments.
Also, when I first arrived in Korea, there was a woman I would see walking almost every morning. She has rather sharp features, really. I hadn't seen her for a few months until this morning. I saw her again! It was strangely comforting... Haha (I'm totally not creepy or anything.)
Another thing to note about public transportation is that you don't really raise your voice above a soft indoor voice. Unless you're young and with a bunch of your friends. It's best to take up as little space as possible, too. Common courtesy for those about to sit next to you. :)
Second: The Subway
Not really much different from the bus, except for the fact that it's a really smooth ride. If you stand in line with the direction of the train, you probably won't almost fall. And by that, I mean having one side of your body pointing toward the direction the train is heading, and the other pointed toward the direction the train is leaving. Don't stand facing the direction the train is going. You will end up looking like you're dancing as you try to catch your balance.
The elderly get seats before the young folks, as it should be. Most of the subway rides I've taken I end up standing. I don't really mind, though. Public transportation is like a good lullaby here. If I sit down, I will want to sleep. The subways are clean, and it's not unlikely that there will be someone walking through trying to sell something. Sometimes they're useful items, sometimes they boggle my mind.
Subways are also really fun to watch people fall asleep. Most people are absorbed into their smartphone, but sometimes you get awesome faces on the people who've passed out.
Public transportation here is quite effective. Sure, driving a car yourself or taking a taxi would be the quickest way to get anywhere, but the public transit is cheap and reliable. One thing I do hope I pick up while I'm here, though, is the ability to fall asleep and wake up right before my stop. Like clockwork. I've seen it so many times, and boy am I jealous.
That's it for this post! A bit strange, but I wanted to write something and I don't have anything fun or interesting going on until next weekend when I take a little trip to Busan :)
Bye-Bye
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