The Crazy Professor

Korean Guy, His Son, Me & The Crazy Professor

My first trip to Busan was one I'd been looking forward to since arriving. I'd heard it was a fun sea town & just rowdy enough for my liking.

I caught an early train Saturday morning, as this seems more conducive w/my spur of the moment mentality & offers a few hours of 'logistical planning' after work on Friday night to get a loose plan in order. Now, maybe this approach isn't the best option but having to account for frantically changing weather, it just seems a better option from where I'm sitting.

Not having a printer at home puts me at a disadvantage, since I'm not able to reserve a ticket & print it out before heading to the station. So, unfortunately, the only seats available were in first class but I figured the extra $10 would be better than waiting another hour for the next train. Plus, there are supposed to be a few perks riding in the 'high class' seats....which actually wound up being nothing. Either way, I was headed south & Busan station would ultimately put me w/in walking distance to a number of the initial places I wanted to check out.


Once aboard, I found my seat, stowed my pack overhead & hunkered down in the window seat for a nice two hour, mid-morning snooze. The snooze lasted all of 30 minutes, as upon stopping in Dondaegu, just south of Gumi, we picked up a few more passengers & one of them (I'm guessing he had a standing ticket & wandered around until he found an empty seat, which is pretty common) promptly noticed my Caucasian-ness, gestured politely, made a bit of English small talk & finally sat down in the vacant aisle seat to my right.

**I've come to realize headphones & books are nary a deterrent when it comes to chatty Asians looking to practice their secondary language skills.

The guy ends up being a semi-retired Economics professor who spent part of his days attending seminars, lecturing & bouncing around Korea visiting friends at various universities - some of which, he claims, are high ranking members of the administrations at said institutions. On this day, however, he was headed to a wedding in Busan.

His name was Dr. Warren Kim but he insisted on simply being called Warren. His flimsy, rice paper 'business card' gave the Hangul translation for those who could care less about his English name. On the surface, he seemed to be a very well traveled individual, having visited over 100 countries & due to his current employment status, he had plenty of time for traveling & meeting people. It didn't take long to realize he was tremendously outgoing & seemed very interested in getting to know anyone he encountered. He also took great pride in collecting personal contact information from those people he met.

Realizing I was knee deep in conversation & not getting any sleep, we swapped tales of adventure, life & general topics of varied substance. He was, what I'd refer to as an 'excitable guy.' He was older, sure, but full of energy & a certain zest for life not regularly exhibited by most people. I can only imagine his class lectures were probably quite entertaining, even if the subject matter may be rather blase for most folks.

Within about 30 minutes I'd learned way more than I'd every expected (or probably even wanted to) about the distinguished Professor Kim. He owns homes (apartments) in Seoul & Daegu, travels the world regularly, lost his alcoholic father to, you guessed it - alcohol & he claimed to have a wife that he never does anything with. In his exaggerated state of existence he bounced from topic to topic, and this should have been a warning sign that maybe things were a bit cuckoo w/the man but the conversation was comical & he thought he could help me find a Uni gig over here by forwarding my resume on to some of his friends at various universities he mentioned. 

He'd apparently spent a number of years teaching in the states & was familiar w/exactly where Iowa was. He also mentioned, during his time in America, he worked w/a Russian Economist who had passed away (my understanding is this was also alcohol related) & that he'd basically taken the man's sons under his wing & claimed to provide for them & treat them as if they were his own.

About 20 minutes out from Busan Station, the Professor proclaimed we needed to get off at Gupo (the port of turtles) & then we could catch the subway. He also felt I could get a discount on my ticket since I hadn't traveled to my final destination. It all seemed a bit sketchy & I objected a couple times but finally decided, what the hell, why not tag along w/the Professor for a while. Upon departing the train, he insisted I get my refund and he needed to find the station master. For all the efforts, I supposedly got a 1,000 won refund (about a buck) but I didn't ever bother to see if the deposit was ever made back into my account. We also spent a good 15 minutes traipsing around the station in search of the station master. By the time we finally found the office, the station master wasn't there but the Professor wanted to leave a message for him. Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly sure what he said but it didn't seem like it was much of anything important.

Next, it was on to the subway, where we were going to head downtown (basically where the train would have eventually dropped us off at, had we stayed on board). As we were cruising towards downtown, the Professor spotted a pasty, red haired chap who he felt I would certainly like to meet. Not surprisingly, it was a rather awkward few minutes....not every single white person wants to befriend every other white person in Korea. The kid was decent enough; a teacher (no surprise) from Ireland who felt this was an opportunity for a better life as things are apparently pretty dismal for recent college grads back on the Isle.

Eventually, we were to our stop so we parted ways w/the Irish lad (don't remember his name) & made our way up to the street where we caught a cab. I still wasn't entirely sure what the hell was going on but the Professor, in his effervescent demeanor, assured me we needed to meet up w/his friends before the wedding. Again, I mentioned to him it was a kind gesture but I really wasn't keen on going to a wedding, let alone spending the day running all over town meeting various people I would likely never see again.

After 10 minutes of left and right hand turns & a couple red lights, we exited the cab near the waterfront. The Professor wasn't exactly sure where he was supposed to meet his friend or what the exact plan was, so when we finally found them, the plan was to grab a bit to eat....unfortunately, a bite to eat didn't include any real food of substance but rather lots of Korean beer & an assortment of vegetables in varying degrees of spicy.

Have you ever watched a car accident & it seemed like the whole thing happened in slow motion? That's pretty much what the next 90 minutes were like. It winds up, the Professor met this guy a couple weeks earlier when he was in Busan, so it was only proper to get together for beers. The friend seemed like a nice guy, very polite & he was accompanied by his son, who probably in his early 20's. The Professor decided I should stay w/this guy & his family for the night & the son would be my tour guide for the weekend. As generous as the offer was, I really didn't want to A) burden this family I didn't even know & B) have some college kid devote his entire day/weekend to showing some English teacher around the city.


It turns out the Professor is quite a hearty drinker & I'm pretty sure for every one bottle we split, he had put down three bottles on his own. It wasn't to the point of raucous quite yet but he was beginning to get rather loud, considering it was only the middle of the day.

After being holed up in this tiny little restaurant/bar for nearly two hours, listening to the Professor ramble on about who knows what (only caught about every tenth word), I decided I needed to make my exit, the day was being wasted & I was rather annoyed. I almost felt bad for his friend as he sat there, relatively quiet, just nodding, agreeing & occasionally chuckling at some bit of wit or humor from the Professor.

I've come to realize that Korean men like to get drunk, often. Unfortunately, this was throwing a tremendous wrench in my plans to see the city. Finally, I mentioned that I really needed to get going, even though I had no pressing engagements, I was anxious to play tourist for awhile. With that, the Professor decided it was a good idea, even though he was going to stay & drink 'a little more' w/his friend, before the wedding. His friend spoke to his son for a moment, handed him about 50,000 won ($50) & motioned him to join me for the day.

Before leaving, the Professor invited me to call him on Sunday on my way back through Daegu. He thought it would be great if we met up for a bite to eat. Knowing his idea of 'a bite to eat' was drastically different than mine, I opted to forgo the invitation & whatever bizarre nonsense would have likely ensued.

Hoping never to experience this again, I made the request of a photo, if only to serve as a future reminder of, well, the Crazy Professor. We lined up, smiled eloquently enough & as the Professor clasped onto my arm for stability, photos were taken.  I did my best to thank the Professor, his friend & the relatively patient ladies working who'd suffered through a few rude moments as the Professor sucked down his happy juice.

The tiny restaurant & our two waitresses....kind of.

Unfortunately, the kid who was going to show me around didn't speak much English & the Korean dictionary on my phone could only do so much. By the time we made our way down the elevator, outside & had wandered about a block down the street, I had done my best to explain that he didn't need to escort me around the city & he could probably find far better things to do on a Saturday afternoon anyway. It took at least five minutes of explaining & 'phone-translating' to fully get my point across & by that time, it seemed that I may have offended the kid but either way - I was free at last!


For all his generosity & sincere friendliness, I couldn't help thinking that, just maybe, this man might be a tad loony! I certainly appreciated the manner in which he carried himself & his outwardly cordial attitude towards all people but having been led all over town w/nothing sufficiently productive to show for the time & energy wasted, I was more than happy to be alone, to explore Busan on my own.

On my next trip to Busan, I was very leery of running into the Professor again, I just had a bad feeling. Even knowing percentages were low that I might actually cross paths w/him, my senses were still heightened & I was ready to duck & hide if necessary.

Of course, when I got to Busan station a couple weeks ago, I cautiously looked around the waiting area & ticket lines for any sign of the Professor....low & behold, there he was, on the far side of the station, chatting it up w/one of the KORAIL employees, most likely wanting to have a word w/the station master about something. I bee-lined for the nearest set of stairs, made my way to the second level & posted up, watching to see that the Professor had gone on his way & I wouldn't have to endure another afternoon of nonsense w/this crazy little man.

Seoul Trippin 3

Sunday in Seoul began fairly early (at least for someone who is used to starting work at 1p.m.). Sleeping in the bathhouse was an interesting endeavor as there were roughly 80 basic 'boxes' set up on the top floor in a kind of bunk style, some with 'pillow' type cushions and a mat, while many others contained nothing in terms of comfort. I was fortunate enough to occupy one w/this slight level of comfort. Considering the whole building was quite a few degrees warmer than the air temperature outside, it made for a rather hot & sticky nights sleep but, in the end, it wound up being a fairly restful night.

6:30-ish is prime time to avoid the mass of humanity in a Jjimjilbang, I pretty much had the showers & hot/cold tubs to myself so I was able to take my time, enjoy some privacy & cleanse my exterior w/very little sense of hurry. By the time I was finished loading up my pack & making my way downstairs, Koreans in all shapes, sizes & ages were stirring about, preparing to begin their day on the tails of the peculiar white man....so far, so good!


I ventured out the main entrance, formulated a plan & made my way back down Hooker Hill, stopping at a Family Mart (convenience store) to pick up some yogurt & a couple Gatorade's - can never be too hydrated over here, the humidity reminds me of both IA & FL. After grabbing what I needed & wandering back out into the early morning summer warmth, the scene of late night revelers making their way home offered some great amusement & as I stood there in somewhat of a trance just taking it all in, a guy came up to me & snapped me back to reality by mentioning he saw the backpack & thought he would do the proper thing & say hey to a fellow backpacker. Winds up, the guy talked my ear off for about 30 minutes....so much for just saying hey. He's originally from near Chicago & been teaching over here for a couple years but spent about five years working as some sort of production minion on the Jerry Springer Show. Admittedly, I only caught about 20% of what he was saying but I do recall him mentioning he hated working there & having to do so many terrible things in an effort to ruin someone else's life for ratings & money; ah, television, how I haven't missed you!

Art Museum I couldn't visit as it's closed on Sundays.

Looking North at part of the US Military Base

By the time I took my leave of 'Chicago,' nearly an hour had passed & I was wasting valuable time in the city. It took a couple minutes to get to the bike we'd stashed the night before, saddle up & make my way south to the Han River. 

Really not a whole lot to tell about the next few hours, basically rode up & down the river on a fairly busy bike path, envied a speed boat on the Han river pulling the one & only water-skier I've seen in my eight months here, chomped on a few snacks, watched a little league baseball practice, sucked down a Gatorade, enjoyed a crappy Korean beer, snapped a handful of pictures, 'conversed' w/a few groups of Korean schoolkids hanging out along the riverfront & finally decided to make my way back to Itaewon so I could meet up w/Tonya & Mark after their race. It was mid afternoon by this point & they were likely going to be finishing the race & heading back by about 4, then the plan was to hit up the Aussie BBQ.

I had worked up a pretty good funk from all bike riding & wandering around, so I was pretty anxious to get a cool shower & some tasty BBQ in my stomach - and of course, wash it down w/multiple beers that hopefully wouldn't be Korean made.

63 Building overlooking the Han

Interesting metalwork along the bike path

 After waiting a couple of hours & not hearing anything from Tonya & Mark, I made my way down to the strip, grabbed a bite to eat at a Mexican restaurant (it was awesome!) & decided to do a little window shopping as well as hit up an English Bookstore. As I left the bookstore, returned to the sun-drenched strip, set my pack down & perused one of the new books I'd picked up I was approached by a couple Korean women. They proceeded to ask me if I was familiar w/God the Mother. Assuming they simply confused mother w/father, I said sure, of course. Big mistakes....as I've learned, when any Korean approaches you carrying a backpack or shoulder bag, pretend you speak Spanish & high tail it in the opposite direction, wildly
yammering on in Spanish, otherwise they'll likely rope you into a 'God is great' session you probably don't want any part of.

I remained cordial enough to the ladies & listened to what they had to say, many times refuting their claims, even as they attempted showing me 'proof' about 'God the Mother' in the Bible. Surprisingly, there is an huge group of followers/believers around the world who travel to Korea on a pilgrimage of sorts to meet & shake hands w/the living, breathing 'God the Mother.' Somehow, the mother of Jesus is alive & well (although she's nearing geriatric status) in South Korea - and people really believe this, so much so that they devote their lives & money to her spiritual leadership. The whole time (probably two hours) they were witnessing to me, I was thinking this would be the perfect time for my phone to ring, so as to have a legitimate reason for leaving.

Water skier on the Han

Church w/a view overlooking the Han

Even though the ladies felt as though they'd failed to persuade me in joining their cult (even after bringing in a couple Jerry Falwell heavy hitters), I told them they did a wonderful job in 'explaining' the information & it was certainly something to think about but I really had to get going, even though the phone had yet to ring.  As I strode down the sidewalk, they followed a little ways back w/a determined, yet slightly dejected look on their faces but quickly jumped into their pitch w/another unsuspecting foreigner. I've come to realize, many Koreans are interested in saying hello to foreigners & finding out a little information about where they are from & what they're doing in Korea, so when the two ladies originally approached me, I thought nothing of it....lesson learned.

I pretty much spent the next few hours wandering up & down the strip, stopped for more grub & a beer & finally decided that if I didn't hear anything from Tonya & Mark by 10, I'd head for the train station & back to Gumi rather than spending another night in the Jimjilbang. I was slightly worried something might have happened to Tonya & Mark during the race, as it was a pretty grueling endeavor & the weather was just hot enough to make it that much more difficult.

By 10, I'd successfully quelled the advances of what I can only assume was a hooker, enjoyed an entertaining street musician, made my way to the subway station (successfully quelled the same hookers advances again, pretty sure she was following me) & finally found myself back at Seoul Station. I got my ticket, killed the next 70 minutes reading & people watching & finally boarded the 11:30 train bound for Busan, meaning I'd be back home in Gumi in a few short hours.

Apparently Norway has a big tourist presence in Korea!

All the exercise & time in the sun had tuckered this kid out, which meant I was fast asleep by the time the train pulled out of the station. When I woke up about 90 minutes later to relieve my bladder of the Gatorade I'd been consuming all day, I checked my phone & noticed a missed call & text message from Tonya. Long story short, the race lasted quite a bit longer than they'd anticipated, by the time they got home, they were running late for the BBQ but needed to freshen up & charge their phones. In the rush back out the door, they'd apparently left the phones plugged into the chargers back at Mark's apartment & had no other way to get a hold of me. They planned on calling me, giving me directions, then having me catch a cab or the subway up to the BBQ but w/out the phones, it was all a no-go.

Regardless of the Sunday snafu & time spent learning about another in the long line of religious oddities, it was a pretty good first experience in Seoul, even if I didn't get to see & do everything I'd hoped. It's definitely a city that needs to be experienced a few times anyway, so I have a good excuse to make my way north again soon (I actually buzzed up there late one Saturday night & spent Sunday playing tourist but I've still got lots more to see).

Seoul Trippin 2

By the time Tonya & I finally connected it was probably pushing 2 AM, which is when most people find themselves (or would if they could have out of body experiences) deep in a relatively peaceful slumber. Having been conditioned, over the years, to be a night owl, my biological clock sees it as an opportunity to continue whatever productivity may have emanated from my pores a few hours earlier. As most great friendships are fostered over cocktails, it seemed apropos that Tonya should suggest grabbing beers once I'd dropped my pack on the floor of her boyfriends apartment.

Although a majority of Koreans own automobiles (namely Hyundai's & Kia's but to a lesser degree, there are a couple other Korean brands & occasionally you'll see a Lexus, Mercedes, Chevy, Honda, Range Rover, etc), it seems the cities are conveniently centered around either quality public transportation or human power (i.e. walking or riding a bike). Most cities have distinct commercial & entertainment centers which are easily accessible. It should be noted, though, many of the cities are built around mountains, therefore, many of the roads undulate & wrap around....something that could certainly cause a newbie to become disoriented if left to wander home from a night out.

Seoul Tower, the wee hours

We worked our way down a few hilly streets & popped out on the main drag of Itaewon. It's a very international part of Seoul & there is a US military base located at the west end of the strip. The street consists of a plethora of Western bars & restaurants, including major chains like McDonalds (of course), Burger King, Outback & Subway as well as some unique joints offering things a bit different yet still contentedly Western in their style.

Seoul Tower, early morning

We wound up hitting a couple spots that were just closing down. We finally found ourselves in a great little spot  located up & off the street but serving tasty beers, so I was a happy kid. We spent about an hour downing a couple beers & 'catching up,' even though this was the first time we'd actually ever talked face to face. She regaled me w/tales from her time after Huxley, adventures in CO & finally her months traversing exciting & exotic locales across the globe before 'settling down' in Korea for the past couple years. Her story is one to envy & appreciate from a perspective like mine, so I was completely content hearing about her travels.

Seoul Tower, early afternoon

With management urging it's patrons to head elsewhere, we made our way through the winding streets back towards Mark's apartment. As we got closer, we decided to stop at a little hole in the wall to suck down a couple IPA's that they'd recently discovered. I'm not a big IPA fan but these were definitely tasty & the guy serving them was typical of most Irish I've met along the way....sarcastic, jovial, good-natured, antsy to consume & converse & genuinely interested (mostly) in helping others enjoy life as much as they are. He was actually filling in for the regular bartender who had a bit of an 'emergency' and couldn't work the shift.

Sensing he was ready to close up shop as the morning was quickly approaching, we said our good bye's, joked about arbitrary nonsense & made our way out the door & back to the apartment for a few hours of early morning shut eye. I was lucky to have a huge, inflatable bed covered w/an equally large memory foam mattress on which to rest my weary head. Upon completion of the pre-sleep rituals, I was fast asleep in no time & a few hours later, found myself rising from my slumber w/the acute senses & sharp mind of the lethargic basset hound, Flash, from the Dukes of Hazzard.

 As most mornings tend to go, it takes a bit to shake off the morning fog & seeing how I'm not a coffee drinker this can make for a frustrating process if there are activities planned. Fortunately, we spent about two hours catching up/getting to know everyone better, as well as a tour of Mark's place. Most apartments in Korea are pretty simple but he had quite a set up, both space-wise & location. He had an upstairs as well as a rooftop that both offered plenty of extra room to stash items or host get-togethers. The roof offered some great views of the expanding city in nearly all directions, probably a great spot to post up most mornings for some coffee/tea, breakfast & light
reading!

Tonya's boyfriend Mark taking in the view

The day was scheduled to be fairly low-key as Tonya & Mark only had a couple things to do, aside from serious hydrating & carbo loading for the big race on Sunday. We tooled around Seoul some in Mark's Korando (imagine a classier Jeep w/out the removable top), met one of their Australian mountain biking/drinking buddies who'd literally 'busted a nut' riding his bike through a park a couple days earlier after a healthy night of revelry & inability to be convinced a cab was a better option than navigating a dark, hilly Seoul park in the wee hours of the night.

Regardless of his current testicular predicament & the pressing need to continue preparations for a party they were hosting the next day (which was why Mark had to visit, to drop of some supplies), he was easily coaxed into late morning beers & a little 'lunch' at this great German restaurant at the base of his towering apartment building in downtown Seoul . The whole ambiance was an amazing oasis tucked discreetly into the hustle & bustle of an important commercial nerve center of the world.  He, much like many Australians I've met, had the same whimsical, upbeat & jovial demeanor I've come to appreciate - reminds me of the Irish in this way: 'Let's just work hard, play hard, have a good time & not get too worked up over the little things that ultimately don't make a bit of difference in the grand scheme!'

The 'Floating Island' along the Han River

After a couple hours of entertaining stories, grand schemes of wealth & & generally enjoyable camaraderie, it was back to the apartment before heading off on a bike ride down to the Han River for some sight seeing. We poked around the newly opened 'floating island,' although we weren't really able to figure out it's actual purpose aside from a spot for tourists like me to wander through & snap a few pics.

Seoul less than a half century ago

We came to the conclusion that it was likely meant as a minor entertainment venue to host musicians, artists & the like as well as a spot for locals or tourists to relax, grab something to drink or nibble on as they make their way up & down the riverfront. I'm impressed, again, at how convenient it is for people to get around in the cities & the obvious dedication made by planners to incorporate walking/biking paths into all aspects of development.

The bridge, looking back at the 'Floating Islands'

In one of the buildings on the 'island' there was a photography display, showing a vast array of Seoul cityscapes, both at day & night. We also stumbled across some photo's of Seoul about 50 years ago, when it was just beginning it's development. I've said it a few times but I'm still amazed at how quickly this country has evolved into what we see today. So much growth & development in just a few decades - considering this was essentially a third world country half a century ago, you have to tip your hat to guys like Park Chung Hee (Korean President/Dictator who was born in Gumi, just a few blocks from where I'm living) who really made the initial push towards modernization & legitimacy on the world stage.

Spending just enough time to suffice our curiosity, we headed back towards Itaewon, back up the beefy hill on the bikes to indulge on some enormous Crow's Nest pizza - actually pizza, as opposed to the goofy stuff most Koreans consider 'pizza.' Before grabbing some 'za, we dropped off the bikes & wound up wandering around the busy streets for a bit as they noted various points of interest & we attempted to formulate a sleeping plan for me. 

 

I was planning to get a cheap hotel room but everything was already booked for the holiday weekend, so we scouted out a Jjimjilbang (Korean bathhouse http://wiki.galbijim.com/Jjimjilbang) that actually allows it's visitors to sack up for the night. For the low, low price of 8,000 won (about $7), I would have a place to not only rest my weary head but also attend to the necessary hygiene requirements in the morning....I'm a simple guy but I do still like to be clean whenever possible. We also had the trouble of finding a relatively secure place to lock up one of Mark's bikes, as he was going to let me use it on Sunday in order to tool around the city & cover more ground.

A Hot Room to Relax in the Jjimjilbang

Having locked up the bike & gotten an idea of where I could call home for the night, it was time to eat. The Crow's Nest was certainly delicious & a welcome addition to a nearly empty stomach still swimming in beer from the previous night. After kicking back for awhile, enjoying the food & washing it down w/more beer, it was time for Tonya & Mark to head back to their place as I was left to my own devices for the night.

This is actually typical, amazing!

Sadly, there isn't a whole lot of nonsense to report. I pretty much hung out, wandered around Itaewon, got hit on by prostitutes on Hooker Hill, sucked down a few beers & wound up calling it quits early enough to secure decent sleeping quarters at the bathhouse....not after a quick workout, some wandering around the immense building, soaking in the natural hot springs & lulling myself into a zombie-like stupor watching about 30 minutes of what appeared to be Korean Dramatic/Historical Television, documenting some important clan warfare from a few centuries ago, with just enough modern day effects to keep the kids interested. 

These last two photos are from the Jjimjilbang link a few paragraphs up but thought it'd give you an idea of what the places are like. I'm quite certain you're not allowed to take pics but apparently somebody didn't pay much heed to the rules.

Aside from these 'sit & scrub' showers, there are usually normal showers available, too.


I'll do another blog covering the rest of the weekend, as this one has certainly exceeding my desired amount of words.

Until then, be well, live happy, stay cool, hold no grudges & see the world - it's a pretty amazing place out there!

A Pohang Kind of 4th!

There have been plenty of events & happenings back home I haven't been able to be a part of....some joyous, others somber. It really dawned on me tonight after work, when I got home from my power hour (unfortunately not the kind that includes mass consumptions of alcohol) workout at the gym (i.e. the public park & it's nice array of gadgets to help keep one relatively fit). I logged onto Facebook & there were all sorts of great status updates across the country documenting all sorts of patriotic shenanigans, hootenanny, & the like as well as a couple emails checking up on me & wishing me a Happy 4th.

I suppose there hasn't been a year when I've not spent my fourth in one of probably three or four ways - w/family or friends on or near some body of water, Okoboji, Clear Lake, the family pond, the Gulf of Mexico, Apple River, etc; working at a bar, or drinking at said bar b/c it wasn't busy enough to work; as a youngster running rampant in either Sheldahl or Slater, Iowa, depending which town was hosting the festivities that year. Although two of my most memorable holiday's included snow skiing, which is obviously a rarity north of the equator this time of the year save for a few remote locales.

Needless to say, in anticipation of what I was quite certain to long for this year, I was torn b/w two possibilities. The first was bungee jumping & white water rafting in a fairly remote area in the north central part of the coutnry near the DMZ, northeast of Seoul. The other was a quick trip to Pohang, a port city of about half a million people on the Eastern coast. I didn't have a whole lot of info on the place aside from knowing it had been significantly important during Korean war and that it is home to the world's largest steel factory (POSCO) & I'd heard they have some fantastic beaches....I'm always down for a good beach scene!

POSCO Steel Factory

Keeping an eye on the remnants of the previous weeks tropical storm, weather wasn't going to be spectacular for either endeavor. Factor in time constraints, bungee/rafting meant meeting a group in Seoul at 7 A.M....given train schedules, I'd have to leave Fri night, post up at the rendezvous & catch a few winks in the subway terminal. The Pohang option allowed more flexibility as I was on my own schedule. So....we have a winner - Pohang it is!

I overslept a bit & missed the train by two minutes. This waiting around for about an hour but I figured I would still have plenty of time to get where I needed to go & enjoy the better of the two days, weather-wise. Three train transfers, nearly four hours of wait time sitting on the platforms of the always marvelous Dongdaegu & Gyeongju stations led to valuable daylight burning away. All told, a couple minutes (missing the first train) cost me an afternoon exploring & splashing in the surf. Instead I was traversing the Eastern Korean countryside by rail & playing the waiting game as the sun faded away behind me to the west. I still really am fond of the rail system over here, it wasn't KORAIL's fault I never set an alarm.

By the time I reached Pohang, it was nearly 8 o'clock at night. Not a chance for sun & fun by the water but I was hopeful the rain predicted for Sunday would hold off - yeah, that didn't happen. As has become pretty customary, I slung my pack over my shoulders, oriented myself w/the layout of the city as best I could from the map on the wall at the station, got my bearings & started hoofing it for the waterfront. Making my way through the commercial/shopping district and venturing out of the way a bit, so I could walk through the famous Jukdo market, eventually I found myself following the Hyeongsan River, which funneled me towards Bukbu beach. Bukbu is an area that's really been transformed into a great waterfront destination over the past decade w/shops, restaurants, hotels, street vendors, bands, etc - all the creature comforts any good money toting consumer could ask for.


Being relegated to the nightlife as my first experience in Pohang isn't such a bad situation to find yourself in. The weather was perfect, the nauseating 'fishy' smell had been replaced by cool breezes off the East Sea (commonly referred to as the Sea of Japan but that's a debate for another day) & to my delight, people were shooting off fireworks up & down the beach. I later found out Pohang is well known for their Bukbu beach-side fireworks every summer....looks like I picked the right location for my 4th of July revelry. This was turning into a pretty good decision. People were everywhere, young & old, just foot loose & fancy free. Having a good time, drinking whatever alcoholic beverage fit the mood & enjoying life for what it was meant for - living!

Credit for these two video's can't be claimed by me. They were on YouTube but they give you an idea of what I was hoping to experience. The first is a quick jaunt through Pohang (turn the volume down a bit as it's set to music). The second is of the Jukdo Market & it has some commentary from whoever the cameraman was. Regardless, they both do a good job capturing Pohang & to some extent, much of Korea in the way people live, work & play here. It really is an amazing place.

I kept strolling along the beach, taking in the sights & sounds. A rather eclectic group of dancers were doing their best impressions of Elaine from Seinfeld w/herky jerky moves, dancing to an equally peculiar band onstage.

A complete contentedness w/simply being themselves & having a good time is a characteristic I've come to appreciate about Koreans. It's genuine & sincere, no matter the circumstances - a seemingly very happy tribe!



It became apparent rather quickly, though, this was either a town w/very few English teachers or they all hang out someplace else. I counted a group of four strolling on the beach & a couple military guys acting like complete jackasses at a bar.

To further solidify my notions, one little kid spotted me, frantically tugged his father's hand, pointed in my direction & joyfully exclaimed "Waegook, Waegook, appa, appa, Waegook." This loosely translates to foreigner, foreigner, daddy, daddy, foreigner. He giggled a bit, waved hysterically as his father politely nodded, said hello with an almost apologetic tone & subtly let his son know he shouldn't always be so obvious with his observations.

Waegook is sometimes thought of as a condescending term but it hasn't been anything I've taken offense to, honestly, I am a foreigner so why get all worked up over it? It has become very apparent Korean children might be, collectively, the cutest kids I've ever seen. Maybe it's cause everything they say is funny to me, since I don't understand most of it but their insatiable excitement on seeing & getting the attention of white folks (teachers) is extremely compelling.

The rest of the night played out as one would expect. I checked into another 'New Love' motel. The half blind, slightly cuckoo, sweaty, stump of a woman running the show shorted me about $5 in change & only had one copy of the key, which meant I borrowed it to lock the room before I left & again to unlock it upon returning. All in all, I'm quite certain I really wowed her w/my charm & quick wit. She seemed pleasant enough & made sure I was happy w/the accommodations...a bed & a shower, fine by me! Although, I can't be certain she didn't rummage through my pack & sniff various items while I was out mingling w/the locals!

After a refreshing shower, I headed back out to see what sort of trouble I could get into. It turns out, not much, which is a good thing. It was getting late, so I hit a couple bars. The first was a place called Miller Time - it wound up being more of a restaurant serving beer, so I quickly turned around & headed toward a small little joint called S Flair. Having wandered by it earlier, I could tell people were having a good time & there were some Westerns inside so it seemed like a good hitching post for a few hours. Turns out the Westerners were the drunken military jackasses. I won't get into details but they complained about everything, ran up a tab of about $300, casually walked through the front door, caught a cab & headed off into the night. The Korean girls who had been w/them were stuck w/the tab, real classy, fellas!

Having plenty of experience behind a bar, it's difficult sitting on the other side & not wanting to smack some sense into people sometimes. The place was pretty cool, although it did reaffirm my theory in 'Flair' bartenders....it's not nearly as hard as it looks, the gimmick is more about showing off your twirling abilities (sometimes while things are on fire) & paying much less attention to actually serving drinks.

I counted, at one time, six people behind the bar, a total of no more than 25 customers in the whole place & it still took them over twenty minutes to refill my Hoegaarden (which it had taken at least 15 to get the initial service & I lost the table I was sitting at when I had to go to the bar to order). I always tip, which is uncommon here & I was surprised when one of the bartenders insisted on buying me a shot of 'whiskey' b/c I'd left her a tip.

I'm not a whiskey drinker, so I told her the only time I drink whiskey is when I'm w/my younger brother or a couple really important friends from college. Little did I know, her reference to 'whiskey' was any liquor as she held up a bottle of Captain Morgan Rum & said what about this 'whiskey.' I finally settled on some Jim Beam & insisted if I was taking one, she needed to take one w/me. She asked if I was buying & I thought, whatever, I know your game, sure, if it means it won't take another twenty minutes for my next beer. Shots were had, the crowd was thinning out & the entertainment kept neglecting their patrons so I figured it was time to hit the sack.

 Sunday wound up as predicted, weather-wise - cloudy early followed by showers throughout the day. The perfect damper on an already busted weekend. Despite the gloomy conditions, I was able to spend an hour sucking up some high quality sea air before heading back to the train station. The early start back to Gumi wound up turning into a longer, more exhausting endeavor of hopping trains & holding down platforms than the previous day, which is a feat, in & of itself.

During my solitary moments under the protection of a canopy along the beach, I watched a family making the most of their time at the beach, regardless of the less than ideal weather conditions.  My theory about adorable Asian kids held true as I sat, enamorred w/their seemingly simple exploits in the sand & sea. Mom remained fairly content under the dry safety of the canopy as dad tended to the three little girls, decked out in matching pink & white striped bathing suits. Antics aside, they were adorable!

Upon realizing my entertainment was heading to warm, dry confines elsewhere, it was as good a time as any to start the journey home.

It looked, momentarily, like the clouds might dissipate & the sun would make an appearance but the hope of that happening quickly faded. Loading up my things, giving one last homage to the sea gods & I was on my way. Sure enough, w/in minutes, the rain began falling more steadily & soon the skies had opened up a furious barrage.

If you've ever been driving when it's been really coming down & you see someone get absolutely saturated as they're waiting near a crosswalk for a chance to get across the street....you'd have gotten a good kick out of the drenching I got, totally blindsided by some guy creeping around the corner & soaking me from top to bottom. Needless to say, the couple beside me were sprayed equally, so at least I wasn't alone. Which is really were this whole ramble began....spending the Fourth of July weekend away from friends & family back home but I'd definitely say, regardless of knowing or not knowing people on certain levels, I feel as though I've acclimated quite nicely & discovered a 'home away from home' that should continue to provide enlightening adventures & memorable experiences in the coming months.

Here's hoping everyone had a safe & happy holiday weekend....until next time, be well! Here's another one of the dancers getting down, just because they can: