tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64583008853322874562024-03-13T13:15:57.246+09:00Blood, rice and noodlesThis is our Blog about teaching English in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The name of this blog is based on the ingredients of a Korean delicacy called sundae (순대) basically Korean black pudding,Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-60674796582234049532012-03-03T10:45:00.000+09:002012-05-30T10:47:50.714+09:00Five Days in Beijing: Part 6 - Chairman Mao and Yonghegong Lama Temple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got up pretty early on our last day in Beijing to try to fit as much as we could in before our evening flight. We started off the day with a long subway ride to the far flung reaches of outer Beijing as I wanted to do a little camera lens shopping. Electronic goods are seriously overpriced in Korea due to the extortionate import tax they slap on everything non Korean and even domestic goods are more expensive than they would be in the UK or America as there isn't so much competition due to the import tax. So buying camera equipment can be pricey here (unless you buy "grey market" goods) and prices in China looked pretty tempting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We travelled out to the outer ring of Beijing city to go to an electronics market there. I was still feeling rather sick from my food poisoning but that didn't manage to dampen my zeal or buying camera stuff. I ended up with a new macro lens at a much cheaper price than I could have got it for in South Korea so I was pretty pleased. One of the weird things we noticed in this part of Beijing well away from the tourist areas was the throat tickling smog. The pollution really was noticeably worse and we were very glad when we got back on the subway and escaped to the more tourist friendly cleaner air of the old city. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My new lens - the </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens, used for taking pictures of really small things and also good as a portrait lens. (photo from Amazon)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the camera shopping, we headed back to Tiananmen Square to try to see the preserved remains of Chairman Mao in his mausoleum. Mao Zedong was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1945 until his death in 1076. Despite signing a proposal that all Communist Party leaders should be cremated after death, he was embalmed and housed in a large mausoleum in central Beijing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Embalming dead leaders seems to be a common pastime for Communist countries. I've been "collecting" dead embalmed Communist leaders since 2003, well not the bodies themselves but my sightings of them. So far, I've seen Lenin in Moscow, Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi and now Chairman Mao in Beijing. To complete my collection I need to get to North Korea to see Kim Il Sung and Kim Il Jong but I don't see that happening any time soon. Stalin used to be preserved and on display with Lenin too but they kicked him out in 1961 as part of the de-Stalinization process and buried him outside the Kremlin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Picture from the time when Stalin and Lenin shared the same Mausoleum in Moscow. (photo fro</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">m <a href="http://www.comtourist.com/">http://www.comtourist.com</a> website)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stalin and Lenin embalmed and laid out in their mausoleum. (photo from
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with Lenin and Ho Chi Minh, Mao's Mausoleum had very strict rules for visitors including no cameras, no talking inside, no smoking and no short or miniskirts. As we had the camera bag with us we decided to take it in turns going inside the mausoleum. I went in first. There were loads of people queuing to get in, many of them Chinese families carrying armfuls of flowers for the departed leader that were available to buy by the entrance. We joked that the flower sellers just picked up flowers laid out in the memorial hall and sold them over and over again to gullible visitors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mausoleum of Mao Zedong. (Photo from Wikipedia)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was quite a jolly, celebratory atmosphere as we wandered through the outer hall and were ushered towards the inner room by uniformed honour guards. Chairman Mao was laid out in his open topped glass casket. He looked like a waxwork just like Lenin and Ho Chi Minh did. Many people claim that they are all actually waxworks anyway but who knows. The guards were quite subdued and low key in Mao's mausoleum compared to what I saw in Lenin's lace and Ho Chi Minh's where the soldiers were conspicuously armed and hyper alert looking. They just stood quietly watching the gawping visitors and occasionally moving people on if they dawdled too long as visitors were supposed to keep moving at all times. Mao was quite a short looking man and looked just like he did in photos taken in the 1970's. He had a flag or some kind of covering over most of his lower body so you could only really see his head and shoulders. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These two sculptures of good Chinese workers were located near the entrance to the Mao Mausoleum. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soldier standing guard in front of the mausoleum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It didn't take long to wander through the building then I was out again in the sunlight in front of the Mausoleum and it was Rowan's turn to visit the Chairman. Overall quite a surreal experience but good to add another dead </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Communist</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> leader to my collection. I entertained myself watching life go by on Tiananmen Square for a while until Rowan got back then we headed back towards ourt hostel for our last bit of sightseeing in Beiijing - the Yonghegong Lama Temple.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Yonghe Temple and monastery is also known as the "Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple" or just the "Lama Temple" and is the biggest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. We were lucky as our hostel was just a 3 minute walk away from the temple. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Yonghe Temple, known informally as the Lama Temple. (photo form Wikipedia) Lamaism is a sect of Buddhism followed in Tibet, Mongolia and some Chinese provinces. Its name "lama" comes from the Tibetan word which means "teacher".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Yonghegong Temple was originally built as a residence for court eunuchs in 1694 then used as an imperial palace by Prince Yong before being converted in to a lamasery in 1744. A lamasery, by the way, is a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism. The monks came from Tibet and Mongolia in large numbers and made the lamasery the national centre for Lama administration. Apparently, the Lama Temple was saved from destruction during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) by the then Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. It was reopened to the public in 1981.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An alleyway between temple buildings in the Yonghe Temple complex.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worshipper burning incense at the Yonghe Temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lion statue at the temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pavilion at the Yonghe Temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty doorway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of the temple buildings had these amazing curved roofs with yellow roof tiles, indicative of it's origins as an imperial palace. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw many people using these prayer wheels. The brass cylindrical wheel has Tibetan Buddhist prayers written on it. The idea is to spin the wheel around in an anticlockwise direction and this will have the same effect as reciting the prayers orally i.e. to purify bad karma and accumulate good karma.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it windy - then don't burn incense today! There was so much incense being burned at the temple that the air was thick with smoke that made my eyes water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Courtyard in the Lama Temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tibetan Buddhist monks at the Lama Temple. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Yonghe Temple has a Guinness World Record for its 26 metres high Buddha statue which was carved out of a single piece of white sandalwood tree. It was just one of many hundreds of Buddha statues to be found throughout the temple. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another pair of monks wandering about the temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We only had a short amount of time left to see the temple so it was a bit of a rushed visit but it was still very interesting and a really beautiful temple, the first lamasery I've ever been to! I love the smell of incense burning in Buddhist temples, it feels relaxing (damn hippy!) although there was so much in Yonghe Temple that it became less relaxing and more choking but never mind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After pour brief visit to the Lama Temple, we headed back to our hostel one last time to pick up our bags then headed back to the airport </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by way of the subway. It had been a really fun five days in Beijing and we really liked the city. I'd love to go back one day but that won't be happening in the near future as foreigners in Korea are not allowed to travel to China unless they have 6 months left on their Alien Registration Card (a kind Korean ID </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">card) - silly rule!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-72284799536905950912012-03-01T10:05:00.000+09:002012-05-29T10:06:03.747+09:00Five Days in Beijing: Part 5 - The Great Wall of China<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">We woke up pretty early on our third full day in Beijing ready for our tour to the Great Wall of China. We had heard that is was possible to visit the Wall yourself by taking public transport or by hiring a drive but that could be fiddly and confusing. As we only had a short amount of time in Beijing we opted for the tour so we could make the most of our 5 days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are several different parts of the Walk that are accessible from Beijing. The most well visited part is Badaling, 50 miles northwest of Beijing City. We decided not to go there though as we had heard that it was a total tourist trap that would be heaving with tourists and people trying to sell tacky souvenirs and that the Wall there was so heavily restored it looked virtually brand new. Instead we went to the Wall at Mutianyu, 70km northeast of Beijing. This part of the Wall was older than the Badaling section and not s heavily visited for some reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Great Wall at Mutianyu (care of Wikipedia - it was really misty when we went so none of my pictures were this clear!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had booked this tour through our hostel and had to wait around a bit in the morning as the minivan was late picking us up. I was still feeling ill after eating that dodgy street food the day before so was doing my best not to eat anything at all to avoid feeling any worse. The minivan finally picked us up and e got to experience real Chinese style driving. It was a cultural experience I'd really rather not repeat. It was so bad it made Korean driving look good. Driving on the wrong side of the road at full speed while honking your horn and trying to scare the oncoming traffic into a ditch is not the most relaxing way to travel. By the time we made our first stop at a jade factory I was ready to puke my stomach lining out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with other Asian countries we've visited, when on a tour they made us stop at random places on the way to the destination and on the way back to give you the 'opportunity' to buy random overpriced stuff you never realised you wanted. This was quite annoying as we were tired on the way back form the Wall and they left us in some hugely expensive silk factory store for an hour getting constantly hassled by staff to buy silk sheets and clothes that would have cost double our entire holiday budget. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watching how they make objects out of jade and marble was actually pretty interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These things were pretty cool, all carved from a single piece of jade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's one being made.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A pair of carved lions awaiting a buyer. Unfortunately they didn't quite fit in my backpack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first non-commercial stop was at the Ming Tombs, the cemetery of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The tombs cover a large area in a valley at the foot of the Tianshou mountains about 50km away from Beijing. They took 200 years to build and were finished in 1644 when the Ming Dynasty collapsed. As well as the 13 emperors' tombs there were also 7 concubines' tombs and one for a eunuch. We had a look around the sacred walk to the tombs and were able to go inside the Dingling tomb which was the only Ming tomb that has ever been excavated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gate at the start of the sacred walk leading to the tombs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to the Dingling Tomb, home to the 13th Ming emperor and his two empresses - or at least it was until an angry mob of people dragged out their remains and posthumously "denounced" them and set fire to them in 1968 as part of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the Dingling Tomb (care of Wikipedia).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a guided wander around the Ming Tombs we speeded off again in our deathtrap minivan and then stopped near the Wall for a bit of lunch. It was okay apparently but I didn't dare eat anything. A dodgy stomach on the Great Wall was the last thing I wanted!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bowls of random food for lunch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, at last, we headed for the main attraction, the Great Wall. I was a bit disappointed it was still so misty but hoped that the lack of a clear view of the Wall would be made up for with atmosphere instead. We started by getting loaded two by two onto a chairlift that took us up to the Wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chairlift was really high and swung about a bit in the breeze. Not good for those with a fear of heights!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way up on the chairlift we saw this toboggan track below us. We realised that we would be able to toboggan down the hill and were super excited!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tobogganing down the Great Wall of China!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we reached the Wall proper we were greeted by this amusing warning sign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this view.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climbing up and down the Wall was hard work - there were so many steps and they were really steep!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our dog Fawkes perched on the Wall with a guard tower in the background.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking down along the Wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People standing on top of one of the guard towers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final ascent up to the last guard tower on the part of the Wall that was open to the public.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We made it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the last guard tower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Wall was closed to the public after that tower but some people still tried to have a look along there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It looked like this - totally overgrown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After walking to the last open guard tower and back again we were all geared up for the toboggan ride down. But disaster struck when we were told that the toboggan slide was closed due to the mist creating water on the track and making it unsafe. We really wanted to go on the toboggans as did the other people in our group so after a lot of nagging our guide and hanging around the ride finally opened up again and we were allowed on! Hurray for people power over safety!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tobogganing track was pretty high up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me coming down the slide on my little one person toboggan car. You just pulled the lever back to go. It was cool though some girl in front of us got stuck and slowed everyone down which was annoying. We should have just rammed her off the track!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some video Rowan took of tobogganing down the Great Wall of China.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tobogganing was awesome despite the traffic jam halfway down and I was so glad we had the chance to do it despite the mist on the track nonsense! The Wall was pretty awe inspiring as expected and I was really grateful for the metal handrails as we climbed up the steep slippery steps. One wrong move and it would be a sticky end for you as it was a long way down. The journey back was uneventful apart from the terror of Chinese driving and another pointless factory stop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had met an Aussie girl on the tour called Kerri and decided to go for dinner with her at some fancy restaurant on on of the big food streets bear the hostel. We always try to have at least one fancier meal when we're in a foreign country - it's all part of the cultural experience innit! So we met in the evening and took a wander down the restaurant street, I forget what it's called but there are loads of places to eat along there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Restaurant street near our hostel all lit up with lanterns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We wandered into a quite fancy looking place with no real idea of where to go or what to look for. It was a big restaurant with lots of smaller rooms off of the main one filled with Chinese families and a few tourists eating huge spreads of food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We weren't sure what to have so we each just picked a few things to share. Of course we ended up with far too much food but it was delicious!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The things in the centre are duck wrapped with pastry I think. They were lovely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan ordered this roasted pigeon which was presented with everything still on, including its beaked head cut off and sliced to reveal the brains inside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan eating the pigeon's head. He licked the brains inside the skull and even ate the beak. He reckoned it was "crunchy".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bobbly looking things in the centre were a sticky toffee crispy dessert and they were really tasty!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was even some entertainment put on at the restaurant including this plate spinning chap and another guy doing the Sichuan Face Changing act.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately my photos of the face changing guy were blurry as hell but you get the idea - he moved very fast!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After forcing as much food down our necks as we could manage we went back to the hostel for a couple of cheap beers. We had to leave Beijing the next day so this was our last night in the nice hostel. In the next post find out about our final day in Beijing including camera lens shopping in the smoggier parts of the city, a visit to see the mummified remains of Chairman Mao and a quick trip to the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in China. </span></div>
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</div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-4739041924668302152012-02-29T23:46:00.000+09:002012-05-28T23:47:44.271+09:00Five Days in Beijing: Part 4 - Summer Palace and Tea House Performance<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">We awoke </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">to very misty weather </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">on our second full day in Beijing. Despite the mist, we decided that we would head to the UNESCO listed Summer Palace. The Summer Palace was first built in 1750 and is a collection of halls, pavilions and temples gathered around a large man-made lake called Kunming Lake. The ground are dominated by Longevity Hill, which is more than 60 metres high and which was made from all the earth that was excavated to make the lake. The palace is popular with tourists but is also a public recreational park so there were plenty of ordinary Beijing citizens there enjoying the sights. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Decorative gate (known as a 'paifang') at the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">entrance</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">main Summer Palace grounds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cute little traditional shopping street inside the palace grounds. You had to pay extra to go in though which was a bit annoying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of the traditional style houses on the shopping street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This artificial hill was made of rocks piled up against the north side of the palace wall. It is called the Hill of Accumulated Elegance and was about 10 metres high.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the nicely named Cloud Gathering Temple which houses a bronze statue of Buddha. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan standing by the old palace walls with a view out over Beijing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really liked this circular hole that you walked through to get to the hall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail from a building's wall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Tower of Buddhist Incense is the highest building in the Summer Palace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A rather more modest building facing the lake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The roofs were beautifully painted with animals and scenes form folk stories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail of a painted roof.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking out over the roofs of the palace buildings and onto the man-made lake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan standing at the foot of the steps up to the Hall of Virtuous Splendour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wall panel painting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another beautiful paifang.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After climbing up Longevity Hill and exploring the buildings we decided to take a boat ride on the lake. I was starting to feel ill by this point as I'd ill-advisedly eaten some weird Chinese street food form an impromptu stall in front of the Summer Palace. It had been delicious at the time, some kind of fried battery pancake thing stuffed with veggies and sauce, but by the time we got to the lake I could feel my stomach churning - not good!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boats on Kunming Lake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We bought a ticket to take a ride on one of these dragon boats on the lake. It was good to relax after all the climbing up and down the hill.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even the roofs of the boats were nicely decorated!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the Seventeen Arch Bridge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Marble Boat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took the boat back round to the entrance and visited the traditional shopping street where I bought another hulusi - I'm such a sucker for musical instruments!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went back to the hostel for a bit after that as I was feeling pretty awful. We decided to use the time to find out about seeing a performance of traditional music as I really wanted to see/hear some Peking Opera (though Rowan wasn't so keen!). After a bit of internet hunting and LP guidebook scouring we came up with the Laoshe Tea House. This place is pretty famous for its opera performances and also has acrobatics, puppet shows and other acts depending which night of the week you go. We got our hostel to book us a couple of tickets for the evening variety show and just hoped that it would be something good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we set off to the teahouse that same evening and found it to be an elegantly decorated building done out in 1930's Beijing style. We picked up our tickets in the lobby then made our way up the grand red painted staircase to the main hall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Up the stairs to the performance hall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was all very nicely decorated although the tea house was only opened in 1988. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was dark and pretty crowded in the theatre but there was a cheerful, expectant atmosphere. We were sat at a table with a Chinese family and were served traditional tea and imperial style snacks. As the performance went on the uniformed attendants would come by and fill up our tea pot with more hot water to keep us going. I drank far too much tea but it was soothing for my poor insides! We saw a variety of different acts over a 90 minute show including a folk music play, a sample of some Peking Opera, Danxian (story-telling to musical accompaniment), a Sichuan Face Changing Dance, some vase juggling, a totally incomprehensible (to us - because it was in Chinese) comic dialogue show with sound effects and some Chinese Martial Arts combined with a traditional tea performance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The compère of the show.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musician playing a traditional string instrument.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the Peking Opera performers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other Peking Opera performer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The vase juggling guy was pretty awesome and juggled progressively bigger and bigger jugs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A short clip of the juggler in action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the Sichuan Face Changing (Bian Lian) performer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Face-changing" is an ancient Chinese </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dramatic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> art </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">involves</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the brightly costumed performer moving to quick dramatic music while changing form one </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">vividly</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> painted mask to the next. The mask changes are so quick you never see them do it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a short clip of the face changer in action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of the acts were pretty good but I think my </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">favourite</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was either the Peking Opera or the Sichuan Mask Changing </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">performance</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - they were both </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">amazing</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It was nice having the tea in a tea house thing as well and most of the people there weren't even westerners either surprisingly! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the performance we were walking down the stairs when I saw something fast and furry running along against the wall. I shrunk back thinking it was a disgusting rat but it turned out to be a mink! It hid under a display case of female performers clothing and some American women came over and stood around looking at the display unaware of what hid underneath. I stood around expectantly, desperate for it to run out and make them them all shriek and panic but it stayed hidden away - you can't always get everything you want in life though!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We made our way back to the hostel via Tiananmen Square again and it was all lit up which was quite pretty in a kind of monolithic manner. There were even some people flying kites on the the roads that run beside it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tiananmen lit up at night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flying kites by street light. We got duped into buying one of those kites. The sellers' ones are really long as you can see here but when you open up the one you just bought it's only 3 or 4 pieces long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So ended our second full day in Beijing. We had booked onto a tour of the Great Wall of China for the next day so were feeling quite excited. Check out the next post for our adventures on the Wall plus a novel way of getting back down it again and our one obligatory slap up meal that we treated ourselves to after.</span></div>
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</div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-10051131247368719452012-02-28T14:08:00.000+09:002012-05-27T14:15:13.504+09:00Five Days in Beijing: Part 3 - Forbidden City and Exotic Food Market<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">After a morning of trekking around the Panjiayuan Antiques Market and a brief visit to Tianamen Square we found ourselves in front of the Forbidden City and decided that we should go in and see what all the fuss was about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;">The Forbidden City, viewed from Jingshan Hill to the north. </span>(photo care of Wikipedia)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Forbidden City was the Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. It was the home of the Chinese Emperor and his household for over 500 years (from 1406 - 1924) and got its name from the fact that ordinary people were not allowed to enter, on pain of death. Luckily for us, instant execution is no longer meted out to commoners, we just had to pay a few Yuan to enter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Forbidden City, now rather less interestingly known in China as the "Palace Museum" or "Former Palace", is a sprawling rectangular complex nearly a kilometre in length filled with 980 surviving buildings and surrounded by a 7.9 metre high wall and a wide, deep moat. It is divided into two parts, the Outer Court, traditionally used for ceremonies, and the Inner Court where the emperor and his family lived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the grand entrance gates to the Forbidden City. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seemed to be <i>de rigueur</i> to be carrying a Chinese flag while visiting the Forbidden City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Riot shields stacked up against an army barracks just inside the entrance of the Forbidden City complex. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone was selling these toy soldiers just inside the entrance too. I thought it was kind of ironic somehow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Real soldiers' boots in front of the barracks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The army owners of the riot shields and boots came out for some kind of roll call while we were there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just inside the Forbidden City complex.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the numerous halls. They all had exciting names like The Hall of Preserving Harmony and the Palace of Heavenly Purity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail of one of the hall/palace eaves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the Hall of Supreme Harmony through the gate of the same name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hall of Supreme Harmony up on its marble terrace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the many copper vats placed throughout the complex. They were part of the fire fighting equipment of the palace and were always kept filled with water. In winter, quilts were put over the vats to stop them from freezing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">The Hall of Central Harmony in the Outer Court. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">It was used by the Emperor to prepare and rest before and during ceremonies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gate through to the Inner Court.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grand throne in</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the Palace of Heavenly Purity.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glazed building design.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imperial roof decorations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail of a roof decoration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weeds growing on the roof of one of the old imperial buildings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pavilion inside the Imperial Garden within the Inner Court. The garden was full of ancient cypress trees and interestingly shaped rock formations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">ruling from 1644 to 1912 before China became a republic. T</span>he Qing Court was heavily influenced by Tibetan Buddhism which resulted in the production of many religious relics such as this one above </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Qing Dynasty produced a lot of these pearl and gem inlaid gold sachets. These sachets were used to hold perfume or flower petals and were tied around the waist as a kind if pendant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beautifully painted wooden beam that formed part of the roof of one of the halls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another spectacular building, though unfortunately I don't know the name of this one. No doubt it was something lovely like the Palace of Holy Clarity of something!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entire complex was so huge that you really needed a whole day at least to see it and we only had a couple of hours so our visit was rather rushed. In this picture, we were all being herded back out through the grand gates, past the marble terraces into modern Beijing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we left the Forbidden City, we saw these two guys selling traditional candied apples to hungry tourists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, after two or three hours or so wandering around the Forbidden City it was time to leave and we headed back towards</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tiananmen </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Square to watch the flag lowering ceremony that takes place every day at sunset. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tiananmen Square is huge and was built that way on purpose. It is supposed to symbolise the strength of the Communist Party and can hold a million people. It is the world's biggest public square.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The National Museum of China is on the edge of Tiananmen Square.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This obelisk is the Monument to People's Heroes. It commemorates all those people who lost their lives in the Communist Revolution.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A short lived kite flying session on the Square. This was soon stopped by a uniformed guard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A huge crowd had gathered for the flag lowering ceremony and they were just as pushy as any Korean crowd ever are so my chances of getting any decent pictures were pretty slim. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was one of the best pics I managed to get of the flag ceremony and it still had the backs of people's heads in!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standing to attention at the ceremony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These guys were ready for anything with their fire extinguisher and segway!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I quickly gave up trying to take photos of the soldiers and focussed on the crowds instead. In the background you can see the Forbidden City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunset over Tiananmen Square.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time the sun went down we were ravenous and decided to try our luck at Donghuamen Night Market for aome exotic foods. I'd been looking forward to this little excursion but with a little trepidation as I'd read about some of the weird things they had on offer there including scorpions, snake skin and even deep fried sheep penises. I figured arriving with a considerable appetite was probably the only way to go!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Donghuamen Night Market started in 1984 and sells a selection of over 100 speciality snacks from all over China.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a long line of stalls selling all kinds of weird and wonderful snacks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently, starfish were one of the worst tasting things that were on sale at the market. I didn't try finding out for myself though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dreaded silk worm pupae that we hate so much from our experience of the smell of it being boiled in stalls at the side of the street in Korea. In China, they had these giant versions of the same bug- gross!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was bird's nest soup for sale sat the market. For those who don't know about this expensive delicacy, it's made from the saliva-glued nests of a few species of swift.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crispy snake skin on a stick ready to be deep fried for your enjoyment and bragging rights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is some animals stomach lining I'm guessing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A tempting selection of snacks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steamed crabs, a more recognisable (for us) delicacy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were fried insects galore of course and plenty of 'courageous' tourists trying to crunch their way through to credibility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought about trying one of these bad boys but they were just so massive I chickened out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I went for a couple of these instead, deep fat fried of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking hungry....or terrified?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not sure....but they were actually pretty tasty, like crispy greasy chicken skin! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan had some too....eventually!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deep fried ice cream on toast. I bought one of these and it was delish!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cheerful looking worker grilling lamb skewers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Candied fruits preserved in crystalised sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan playing at being Ghengis Khan tearing his way through a whole leg of lamb!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After filling up on lamb, mini scorpions and ice cream toast we took a gentle stroll back towards our hostel. On the way we passed a beautifully illuminated church. In the church yard were a large crowd of people taking part in some kind of group line dancing exercise! A pretty surreal end to the day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pretty church lit up at night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mass line dancing by illuminated church light!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was pretty late when we finally made it back to the hostel so we had a quick beer in the hostel bar and planned our next day of Beijing wanderings. In the next post: our trip to the pretty but rather misty Summer Palace, my inevitable dose of food poisoning and an awesome performance of traditional entertainment at a Beijing Tea House.</span></div>
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</div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-63405334623051867962012-02-26T14:14:00.000+09:002012-05-26T12:30:15.751+09:00Five Days in Beijing: Part 2 - Panjiayuan Antiques Market and Tiananmen Square<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We made an early start on our first full day in Beijing. The weather was vastly improved, warm and sunny an our plan was to do some serious sightseeing! We jumped on the subway and travelled to East Beijing for our first stop of the day, Panjiayuan Antiques Market. This popular flea market, also known as 'Dirt Market' apparently, has been going strong since 1992 and receives thousands of visitors every day, both locals and tourists. It's the place to go if you're looking for souvenirs and there are even some genuine antiques mixed in with the fakes and reproductions too! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Panjiayuan Antiques Market on a busy Sunday morning.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">The market was huge and comprised of several indoor and outdoor sections divided into stalls and more permanent looking shops. The shops seemed to have more fixed prices but you needed to barter at the stalls for a decent price - luckily I had Rowan with me to do that as bartering is not my strong point! I'm more likely to end up offering the vendor more money out of embarrassment than getting a discount! There were all kinds of objects on sale, from tiny teapots, 'ancient hand-painted' scrolls, jade jewellery, porcelain busts of Chairman Mao and beautifully painted vases to backpacks, embroidery and stuffed animals. I could easily have spent all day there poking through all the stalls but we were on a tight schedule so just kept it to 3 hours! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the many stalls selling a variety of miniature vases and teapots, highly decorative plates, chopstick holders and ornaments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Antique' brass goods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Original artwork was also on sale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A local woman sat in front of a Communist rug.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the fixed price shops at the side of the market specialised in taxidermy and was stuffed full of unfortunate beasts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traditional mask hanging in front of one of the market shops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some more super cool masks. I particularly like the one on the left with the four skulls on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several fixed price shops specialised in beautifully painted furniture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chairman Mao kitsch ornaments were plentiful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More tiny vases and teapots. I really like these things but they were cheap reproductions clearly mass printed not painted. Still pretty cute though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Old film camera equipment, a Polaroid camera and a couple of copies of Mao's little Red Book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Market workers relaxing on their trusty steeds at the edge of the market.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, all this porcelain and furniture was nice enough but what I was really interested in seeing were weird and wonderful musical instruments. I wasn't disappointed! There were flutes, pipes, clay bird whistles, the lot! Also, I discovered a new and beautiful instrument from Yunnan Province in Southern China called a hulusi - and bought one, naturally. I also bought a wooden flute and a ceramic flute called a Xun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the foreground of the picture you can see several Xun, Chinese pottery flute made from clay or ceramics. They are one of China's oldest instruments with a history going back 7000 years. The instruments at the back are all hulusi, Chinese gourd instruments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This friendly stall-holder gamely played her various instruments for potential customers. I was instantly hooked! The hulusi is a reed wind instrument made of a gourd with 3 bamboo pipes, 2 of which are drones. It has a very pure and beautiful sound - provided you can play it well of course!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another friendly and talented vendor enthusiastically played a variety of different flutes to tempt us. Again, I was easy prey!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The flutes he played kept getting bigger and bigger and more expensive until he ended up pulling out this bad boy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, Rowan managed to drag me away from the market, with considerably lighter wallets than before we arrived but weighed down with exciting new musical instruments instead. As we left the market we saw some new exciting forms of Beijing transport to add to the memory banks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luxury pedalo anyone?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about a motorcycle taxi with rain protection built in?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Electric bicycle or low power scooter? Not sure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our next destination was Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, famed for its monolithic size and the bloody protests that took place there in 1989 which resulted in the deaths of hundreds or maybe even thousands of civilians and many more injuries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a brief look around the edges of the square and were struck by how much security there was in the area. There were a lot of uniformed police around and to get into the square proper you had to use one of several underpasses. Each underpass had security checkpoints and X-ray machines that you had to pass your bags through every time you went by. There were a lot of metal crowd control barriers both in the square and in the wide streets surrounding it and CCTV cameras everywhere. Not a place where you could relax really but still very interesting and absolutely massive in scale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leafy boulevards running around <span style="text-align: left;">Tiananmen</span><span style="text-align: left;"> Square.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Uniformed police and army stationed next to movable barriers on the same leafy boulevard. There were also several army guys standing up on small platforms dotted around the area. The uniformed guards didn't actually look that intimidating, the aim of the uniformed security services in China doesn't seem to be to intimidate. They leave that to the plain clothes thugs that could be anywhere and everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Street light covered in cameras watching the crowds in the square.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of Chairman Mao's Mausoleum where his preserved body still lies in state. This was just across form </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Tiananmen</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Square.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a very popular spot to have your picture taken, preferably in a crazy pose.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even better than a crazy pose, get your picture taken with a Westerner! These 2 Chinese girls wanted their photo taken with me for some reason!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A very serious looking guard standing in front of the Mausoleum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up with Mao's portrait.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we were right in front of the Forbidden City, we decided that we might as well go in and see what all the fuss was about. However, as this post is already pretty long I'll save that for the next post. So....watch this space for the next post which will of course cover the Forbidden City, the flag lowering ceremony in Tiananmen Square and</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the inevitable visit to the exotic food market for some delicious crunchy insects.</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-51908958042294893952012-02-20T14:07:00.000+09:002012-05-25T14:11:02.888+09:00Five Days in Beijing: Part 1 - Hutongs and decadent beer<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">So way back in the first half of September 2011, we were packing our bags once again to go on another quick overseas jaunt. It was the Chuseok vacation, Korea's Thanksgiving/Harvest festival style holiday and we had Monday - Wednesday off work. Koreans usually visit their relatives in their home-towns during this or ancestors nearby to visit we decided to take our 5 days of freedom and go explore another country. Last year we visited </span><a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/search/label/Fukuoka" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Japan for Chuseok</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">, this year we decided it was time to go check out China, specifically Beijing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, all the prices for travel were hiked up for the festive season and plane and train tickets were sold out way in advance. Travelling during Chuseok is like travelling during Christmas back home and can be a real nightmare if you don't plan it well. But as this was our second year of Chuseok madness we knew what to expect. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two faces of the Korean Chuseok holiday -</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Songpyeon. They are rice cake dumplings filled with honey or beans and steamed with pine needles to add a nice scent that are traditionally eaten during Chuseok. (photo from <a href="http://parsonsesl3.wordpress.com/">http://parsonsesl3.wordpress.com/</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Chuseok mega traffic chaos.(photo from Seoul Buffoon blog)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before we could even consider going to Beijing we had to sort out the tricky business of getting a Chinese visa while living in South Korea. The Chinese Government have made it very complicated for ex-pats living in Korea to get a Chinese visa at the moment (not sure why). We had to go to China while we still had 6 months left on our Korean Alien Registration Cards otherwise we would not be issued with a visa. I really have no idea what the reasoning is behind this but I do know that it's prevented a lot of people from visiting China. Visas for Americans have also been made hideously expensive too (couldn't imagine why!) but thankfully, being British, our ones weren't too bad. I just applied for our visas using the same tourist agency that booked our flights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual we stayed overnight at our favourite love motel on Incheon airport island, the Orange Motel, so we'd be well placed for an early start the next morning. We arrived in Beijing on a rainy Saturday morning and made our way buy bus and subway to our hostel, 1 Hai Inn (or the Candy Inn - dunno why it has 2 names - greedy!) which was nicely located in one of the old hutongs (traditional narrow street or alleyway) near to the Yonghegong Lama Temple. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hostel was nice enough and built in a traditional design, with the rooms arranged around a central courtyard, just like the other old houses in central Beijing. The best thing about it was that it was in a hutong, one of Beijing's traditional neighbourhoods where you can still see people riding bicycles, playing Chinese chess on the street under the shade of an ancient tree and sitting on their front step relaxing and chatting to their neighbours. It's a great place to get a feel for the Beijing of bygone years. Now though, many of these neighbourhoods are disappearing as Beijing modernises. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our hostel was located down a tiny alley (hutong) in one of Beijing's traditional neighbourhoods. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the rooms in the hostel were arranged around a central courtyard which is the traditional style for houses in Beijing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main street that our hostel was located off of was a colourful and busy. As it was so close to the Yonghegong Lama Temple there were lots of tiny old shops strung with red paper lanterns selling incense and wooden beads to passing worshippers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Modes of transport in Beijing were as varied as the country's cuisine. This is oyur basic bicycle trailer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An even more basic bicycle trailer design!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about something with a little more power and protection from the weather?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance gate to one of the many pretty old fashioned streets in the area near our hostel. In the background you can see the entrance gates to the Yonghegong Lama Temple, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist temples in the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty traditional street near our hostel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Men gathered round watching a game of Chinese chess in a hutong near our hostel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Locals relaxing outside a traditional hutong shop selling incense, beads and other Buddhist paraphernalia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Couple holding hands while riding their bikes through the old Beijing neighbourhoods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We spent the first day wandering around the local area trying to get our bearings but the rain was putting a bit of a dampener on things. After an abortive attempt to visit the Police Museum (it was just closing) we ended up taking shelter form the elements at a nice, if rather trendy, bar called the Vineyard Cafe. Rowan was very happy about this as they had a great selection of beers form all around the world, something that is sorely lacking in Korea for the most part. Funny that we have to go to ostensibly Communist countries to get our international food and drinks kicks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan posing with his American 'Dead Guy' ale in the Vineyard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a few drinks and a bite to eat in the Vineyard and planned what we would do next. As the weather was still pretty dire and we were tired we decided to get an early night so we could pack loads in on our first full day in Beijing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watch this space for the next Beijing post - it will include more weird traditional musical instruments than I could ever possibly resist, sightseeing in Tiannamen Square and excited Chinese tourists wanting to have their picture taken with me!</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-68274294314735776272012-02-19T20:19:00.000+09:002012-05-23T23:22:08.600+09:00Japan! Take Two: Kyoto - Trains and bamboo groves<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our third day in Kyoto we got a bit tired of the heat of the city so we decided to head out to Arashiyama, a small town just outside of Kyoto. To get there we caught a train from the impressive central Kyoto train station. It was a lot more peaceful and relaxed out in Arashiyama than in the manic central Kyoto sights. After strolling through the main tower areas we headed out to one of the most famous sights in Arashiyama, the bamboo grove at Tenryu-ji temple. The temple was really nice, beautiful gardens and ponds. The bamboo groves themselves were a little disappointing as they didn't quite live up to the lonely planet hype. the grove was very pleasant but it wasn't as big as we expected and it also had a track running through it with cars driving through! In the temple grounds itself we saw some lovely dragonflies and a water snake slithering through a stream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The impressive main hall of Kyoto central train station showing the overhead walk way in the center of the picture at the top. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Definitely a bit more peaceful and relaxed out here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The train bridge from Kyoto crossing the river with mountains in the background.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tenryu-ji temple.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Koi carp in the ponds at the temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Water snake! No idea what kind of snake it is but it was the first snake that Sophie had ever seen so she was happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giant dragonfly!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overview of the temple grounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Covered walkway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temple grounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scary lion head!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The track running through the bamboo grove.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of that bamboo was massive!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Arashiyama we headed back into Kyoto because we had planned to check out Hikone castle, but when the train going in that direction turned up it was absolutely rammed full. So we had a change of plan and headed back up to Arashiyama to take a scenic train up a valley near Arashiyama. We had a bit of a wait for the next train so we strolled around the Arashiyama area and soaked our feet in a hot spring bath at train station. Unfortunately that train was also pretty crowded, but at least we got some good views on the return part of the journey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the trains running between Kyoto and Arashiyama that we traveled back and forth on a few times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hot baths in the station, right on the platform!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coming out from the station hot spring bath</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little shops in Arashiyama.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An old steam engine at Arashiyama station</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The train we traveled on for our scenic railway trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The train was a little over crowded!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We still managed to get some nice photos from the train.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had an option to return to Kyoto on this boat but decided not to bother as it was quite expensive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ripe rice in the fields.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After our scenic railway trip we headed back into Kyoto train station where we checked out the terrifying overhead moving walkway that went right across the length of the station fifteen stories above the platform! The fear of the walkway got our appetite going so we had a dinner of takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings) in a restaurant at the train station.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the evening we took our last walk through the the pleasure districts taking in the sights of the back alleys and riverside around Gion. We saw some kind of street performance involving guys wearing nappies shouting at each other- students I think! We also caught another glimpse of a geisha and managed to get a few photos this time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Genuine Geisha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple relaxing by the river in their kimonos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A truly bizarre street performance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cheery chap advertising Sake, with a rather strange looking mouth!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The alleys were winding, narrow and full of lanterns and hidden little tea shops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />On our last day before leaving we had enough time in the morning to check out the Fushimi-Inari shrine. This shrine was founded in the 6th century to worship Inari, the spirit of rice and sake. Agriculture became less important as Japan industrialised and Inari was re-purposed as a deity of profit and industry and it became traditional for business to donate red torii gates to ensure prosperity. There are now many hundreds of gates lining the four kilometers of paths around the Fushimi-Inari shrine so crowded together they almost form a solid tunnel. We really enjoyed the Fushimi-Inari shrine especially the wildlife and relaxing atmosphere, we saw turtles swimming in the river, cats sleeping among the shrines and carp in the lakes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The area in front of the Inari temple was being dug up when we arrived so it was a little difficult to find our way through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hand washing station just outside the temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fox statues called Kitsue are closely associated with Inari and are usually shown with a key in their mouth, this key is the key to the rice granary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cool looking colorful lizard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Torii gates galore! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4p4-OqsREUY/Tw1-mBO4xII/AAAAAAAADs8/9Ob1qGAJwUc/s1600/IMG_5389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4p4-OqsREUY/Tw1-mBO4xII/AAAAAAAADs8/9Ob1qGAJwUc/s320/IMG_5389.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The gates form an almost solid tunnel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me struggling up the hill in the heat with my sweat towel round my neck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--5T9uJmn8LM/Tw1_t335zPI/AAAAAAAADt0/pctVqR-smn0/s1600/IMG_5406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--5T9uJmn8LM/Tw1_t335zPI/AAAAAAAADt0/pctVqR-smn0/s320/IMG_5406.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sleepy cat on to of a load of miniature torii.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zzRfaF8gNw/Tw1_l8BweWI/AAAAAAAADts/Ko8lYNVUIT4/s1600/IMG_5401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zzRfaF8gNw/Tw1_l8BweWI/AAAAAAAADts/Ko8lYNVUIT4/s320/IMG_5401.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kitsune statue</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zuEiVFQhMY8/Tw1_QVXN_KI/AAAAAAAADtc/taW18q5rE_Q/s1600/IMG_5397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zuEiVFQhMY8/Tw1_QVXN_KI/AAAAAAAADtc/taW18q5rE_Q/s320/IMG_5397.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stone torii</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A mini shrine within the temple.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />After spending the morning strolling around the temple we hopped back on the train for one stop up to Kyoto central station. Our last stop in Kyoto was <span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: left;">Higashi Honganji temple, a large Buddhist temple just north of the station. The temple is huge, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. One of the more unusual things to see at thing temple was a large coil of rope used in the contruction of the temple. This rope was made from human hair donated by worshipers dedicated to building a new temple.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3CFqoY1Z8Jg/Tw2AkejnIJI/AAAAAAAADus/f8ikrsHhs_E/s1600/IMG_5456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3CFqoY1Z8Jg/Tw2AkejnIJI/AAAAAAAADus/f8ikrsHhs_E/s320/IMG_5456.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These pigeons obviously didn't read the sign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The previously mentioned hair rope, pretty gross really!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzBIXBC7N-0/Tw2Aq2SbFLI/AAAAAAAADu0/EXkdvADDhZk/s1600/IMG_5460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzBIXBC7N-0/Tw2Aq2SbFLI/AAAAAAAADu0/EXkdvADDhZk/s320/IMG_5460.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entrance gate to <span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: left;">Higashi Honganji temple.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gdv-2HdkK2Q/Tw2AYczP_BI/AAAAAAAADuc/sDHS_hTySm0/s1600/IMG_5442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gdv-2HdkK2Q/Tw2AYczP_BI/AAAAAAAADuc/sDHS_hTySm0/s320/IMG_5442.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the temple buildings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5XUzjABZ-o/Tw2BaJDHptI/AAAAAAAADvk/LDVqpP0LlX8/s1600/IMG_5468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5XUzjABZ-o/Tw2BaJDHptI/AAAAAAAADvk/LDVqpP0LlX8/s320/IMG_5468.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The moat surrounding the temple.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>After our tour of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: left;">Higashi Honganji temple we headed back to the station and g</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ot on the Shinkansen back to the bright lights of Tokyo. We spent our last evening in Japan eating yakitori skewers and drinking Sapporo beers at an izakaya near our hostel then flew back to Korea the next day drawing to a close our second Japanese adventure.</span></div>Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244316682200849733noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-48741156118928692292012-01-08T21:43:00.000+09:002012-05-23T18:39:05.458+09:00Japan Take Two: Kyoto, temples galore!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Day two in Kyoto and we made sure we got an early start to avoid the heat as we were heading out to some of the most popular temples in Kyoto, the confusingly similarly named Ginkaku and Kinkaku temples. Ginkajku temple was built as a retreat for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in 1482 to get away from the hubbub of the civil war, after his death it was converted into a Buddhist temple. Ginkaku has stunning gardens including white sand piled up to represent mount Fuji, raked gravel zen gardens and mossy woodlands. The woodlands provided perfect shade from the sun so they were very pleasant and relaxing to stroll around. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raked rows of sand in Ginkaju temple grounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The carefully smoothed pile of sand is supposed to represent mount Fuji, it was being maintained by a guy with a watering can and plastering board.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here you can see the sand gardener at work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ponds and neatly trimmed bushes in the temple grounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the many Shinto torii gates that can regularly be found in the grounds of Buddhist temples.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The raked sand looks almost like a beautifully rolled British lawn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviously getting your coin to land on the rock in the middle of the pond is desirable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temple ponds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bamboo grove.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back towards the city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beautiful mossy ground, showing where the rain runs off the trees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lovely peaceful pavilion beside a pond.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Ginkaku we got back on the bus and headed down to Nanzen-ji, like Ginkaku this was also built as a aristocratic home, this time for emperor Kameyama, on his death in 1291 it was dedicated as a zen temple but the original structure was destroyed in the 15th century so the present buildings date from the 17th century. The gates in the entrance way to the temple are some of the biggest I've ever seen, they were seriously massive, it was hard to fit them into a photo. The raked gravel zen gardens were really beautiful and soothing to look at. I've always thought zen gardens sounds a bit silly but having seen the real thing really changed my opinion. We read that one of the best parts of the temple was a small shrine behind the main temple called Nanzen-ji oku-no-in, I'm not entirely sure if we ever found it or not but very did find a beautiful little mountain valley behind the temple with a little shrine and come crazy looking spider's webs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The HUGE gates in the entrance way to Nanzen-ji.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like I said, those gates are pretty big!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next gate isn't much smaller!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ash from the incense seemed to have been shaped similarly to the sand at Ginkaju.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aquaducts at the side of the temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The arches supporting the aqueduct.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lovely little dragonfly posing for us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed this raked gravel garden, it was quite relaxing to look at.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Covered walkway going through the gardens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bizarre spirals in the center of some spider's webs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little shinto shrine in the mountain valley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Small little waterfall, just above the shinto shrine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little lizard, posing on a rock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From <span style="text-align: left;">Nanzen-ji</span><span style="text-align: left;"> we walked back in towards the center of town to visit Nijo castle. Nijo castle was built in 1603 and was the Kyoto residence of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first Tokugawa shogun. while not as visually stunning as </span><a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2010/10/japan-part-3-mount-aso-volcano-and.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Kumamoto castle</a><span style="text-align: left;"> it still had lots of interesting features. We looked around the inside of the castle where there were lots of nice screen paintings and we were constantly followed by the squealing of the nightingale floors (the wooden floors were all designed to squeak so assassins couldn't creep in). The castle was not as interesting as we'd hoped so we didn't stay for that long since we still had one more temple we wanted to get up to.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rather grand moat of Nijo castle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance gate into the castle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gilded eves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An elderly Japanese couple were going round posing for lots of photos in traditional kimono dress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The moat was teeming with koi carp</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty impressive looking moat and walls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The path leading around the top of the walls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An overview of the castle buildings, within the walls it didn't look much like a castle as we'd recognise it, but was a land heavily affected by earthquakes there weren't many stone buildings in ancient Japan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking out from the walls into the town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bridge over the moat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not sure exactly where you could scribble apart from on the no scribbling sign!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The back of the castle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our final temple of the day was Kinkaku temple, which means golden temple, a name well deserved as it's top two floors are entirely coated in gold leaf. In 1950 the temple was burned to the ground by a monk who was obsessed with with the temple and felt the need the express his obsession by setting fire to it! So the current building dates from 1955 when it was rebuilt exactly following the original design but with extra gold leaf extending down to the first floor. Kinkaku is located at the northern edge of Kyoto and is one of the most popular sights in Kyoto. We were advised to arrive either at the beginning or the end of the day so we decided to come at the end, and the crowds weren't too bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lovely butterfly which did it's best to avoid the camera.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A pretty cool tree in the grounds of kinkaku temple</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The golden temple used to only have the top floor covered with gold but when rebuilt gold leaf was added to the first floor, I guess we are lucky it was burnt down, looks much more impressive!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temple with reflection</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a heavy rain shower just after we arrived, luckily it didn't last too long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After kinkaku temple we headed back into town and rounded off the day with a delicious bowl of Hokkaido style ramen. After our ramen we headed out for a bit of shopping near our hostel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not just Korea that has crazy t-shirts!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japanese beef cuts, I guess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A rather bizzarely named shop</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A very grumpy looking at which looked so cool we had to buy the one on the left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sophie with some crazy posters!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We found some pretty awesome Belgian beer in a bar near our hostel.</span></div>Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244316682200849733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-49142582522539871192011-12-01T18:34:00.000+09:002012-05-24T00:00:02.414+09:00Japan Take Two: Kyoto, stepping into history.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we stepped off the bullet train and into history as we arrived at the ancient capital of Japan and probably it's most beautiful city, Kyoto. Our train journey there wasn't quite as exciting and picturesque as we'd hoped and we didn't manage to catch any glimpses of Mt Fuji out of the window. We puzzled our way through the Kyoto bus system and eventually managed to make our way up to our hostel, which was much bigger and more modern than our Tokyo digs. After eating a quick dinner we decided to take a short walk around Gion, the old pleasure district close to where we were staying. It was really beautiful, lots of narrow little alleys and tea houses all lit with beautiful paper and silk lanterns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper lanterns</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's no escaping from Korean food, even in other countries! The exciting thing about this is it's a sign in something other than English that we could read- it says Chingu: friend</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Narrow alleys filled with bikes and lanterns</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We didn't get chance to do too much exploring of Gion that evening, we'd had a long day and it was getting late so after a brief explore we decided to call it a day and go to bed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day we slept a bit later than we'd planned and got out of the hostel just in time to miss a bus, so we decided to walk down to Southern Higashiyama. That was a BIG mistake! It was already getting very hot, and it was further that I thought to walk, so we were tired hot and sweaty by the time we arrived over an hour later, and even worse it was midday and even hotter by then! But along the way we had seen a real live geisha hurrying out of the sun under her ornate parasol. We also stumbled across a small temple which was holding a special event of remembrance for the dead that day. It would normally have been a fairly unremarkable temple but because of the special event it was really interesting. There were lots of people there including a friendly woman who explained to us what was going on and offered us cool drinks which we gratefully accepted! The woman explained to us that she was here to remember her father and showed us some paintings which are not normally on display but only brought out once a year. The paintings on display were some rather gruesome depictions of Buddhist hell (warning this pictures are not for the easily disturbed!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spiky!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not sure what's going on here but it doesn't look like much fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weird wooden neck locks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got your nose! Ouch!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People desperate for a drink but unable to drink because the water is on fire!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weighing the soul or something?</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UzsoIIyTipk/TwmNJ9BUQuI/AAAAAAAADHw/C85BXV9-6C0/s1600/IMG_3972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UzsoIIyTipk/TwmNJ9BUQuI/AAAAAAAADHw/C85BXV9-6C0/s320/IMG_3972.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This scene showed in graphic detail the stages of decomposition of a human body.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uq809yd_qaY/TwmNTHFS9mI/AAAAAAAADH4/i2oJWh6B_-s/s1600/IMG_3973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uq809yd_qaY/TwmNTHFS9mI/AAAAAAAADH4/i2oJWh6B_-s/s320/IMG_3973.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not looking very healthy, but not too bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eww, looking seriously moldy now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some mice, or beetles? getting in on the act</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwqKFDN1Ei4/TwmNvHXVDYI/AAAAAAAADIQ/kvoKj4hmwOg/s1600/IMG_3976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwqKFDN1Ei4/TwmNvHXVDYI/AAAAAAAADIQ/kvoKj4hmwOg/s320/IMG_3976.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Animals joining the feast</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost all gone now</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gGUiEj4EVAs/TwmOL9FIxRI/AAAAAAAADIo/RUG9c6bLqbs/s1600/IMG_3979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gGUiEj4EVAs/TwmOL9FIxRI/AAAAAAAADIo/RUG9c6bLqbs/s320/IMG_3979.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally reduced to a pile of scattered bones, the fate that awaits us all one day.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOn4Qq1dlrU/TwmOVejxzSI/AAAAAAAADIw/7wbfhjLgboE/s1600/IMG_3981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOn4Qq1dlrU/TwmOVejxzSI/AAAAAAAADIw/7wbfhjLgboE/s320/IMG_3981.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here you can see an overview of the whole scene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People praying at the temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was so hot when we finally arrived at the higashiyama temple walk that we very nearly gave up after the first temple. It was a steep climb up to the temple and there was almost no shade, we were struggling just to walk! But somehow there were Japanese guys pulling pedicabs up this hill without too much trouble. By the time we we in sight of the first temple we were about ready to give up and go home. But luckily we spotted a little cafe selling ice cream, so escaped the oppressive heat and sat in there for 20 minutes or so while we recovered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making it look easy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTJyunxWsQE/TwmW6-PopNI/AAAAAAAADKQ/frbIQfeINm8/s1600/IMG_4023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTJyunxWsQE/TwmW6-PopNI/AAAAAAAADKQ/frbIQfeINm8/s320/IMG_4023.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some Japanese ladies showing the correct way to deal with the heat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first temple we visited was Kiyomizu-dera first built in 798 but rebuilt in 1633, it is associated with the hosso school of Buddhism. One of the most interesting things at the first temple was a secret surprise in the pitch dark basement underneath the temple, the experience is supposed to simulate entering the womb. It was refreshingly cool in the basement/womb although quite a disconcerting change from the bright sunlight outside. The rest of the temple was very picturesque. and had lots of wooden balconies overlooking a valley and waterfall. The waterfall at the temple is supposed to have health giving properties and there were cups on long stick provided so that you could sip the health giving waters. One of the most popular parts of the temple are the pair of rocks at the temple shrine. Apparently if you are able to walk between these two rocks with your eyes closed you will be lucky in love. The rocks are about 18 meters apart and me and Sophie both failed horribly at walking between then, not sure what that says about our future! We then drank water from a waterfall which is supposed to have special health giving properties.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu-E0niVruo/TwmXFoxKP0I/AAAAAAAADKY/lh6TVedDP-c/s1600/IMG_4026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu-E0niVruo/TwmXFoxKP0I/AAAAAAAADKY/lh6TVedDP-c/s320/IMG_4026.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steps up the the entrance of Kiyomizu-dera.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6vzFE66ksM/TwmYCwfdhcI/AAAAAAAADLI/kuiStg9EUPc/s1600/IMG_4046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6vzFE66ksM/TwmYCwfdhcI/AAAAAAAADLI/kuiStg9EUPc/s320/IMG_4046.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main precinct of Kiyomizu-dera.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6pOaa7avbWQ/TwmXs1PtuKI/AAAAAAAADK4/WsnPYf7nfiE/s1600/IMG_4035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6pOaa7avbWQ/TwmXs1PtuKI/AAAAAAAADK4/WsnPYf7nfiE/s320/IMG_4035.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More of the temple precinct</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prayer bells of some kind I guess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rgh-rLF1czw/TwmYN7ns37I/AAAAAAAADLQ/irzcIIqjzOg/s1600/IMG_4048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rgh-rLF1czw/TwmYN7ns37I/AAAAAAAADLQ/irzcIIqjzOg/s320/IMG_4048.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a pagoda within the temple</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YcmOs7PAY9w/TwmZVxugRXI/AAAAAAAADMQ/pR2cfmxCmGg/s1600/IMG_4079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YcmOs7PAY9w/TwmZVxugRXI/AAAAAAAADMQ/pR2cfmxCmGg/s320/IMG_4079.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of Sophie's minions- she was claiming to have control of the cicadas that occupied the trees around the temple. One did fly from the tree we were standing near and tried to land on a nearby woman scaring the life out of her, so she may have had a point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Frn7dVsISq8/TwmkH93Os4I/AAAAAAAADOI/fNp2laSPki0/s1600/IMG_4144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Frn7dVsISq8/TwmkH93Os4I/AAAAAAAADOI/fNp2laSPki0/s320/IMG_4144.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the two love rocks that we so spectacularly failed to walk between!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jKGqBA1i26c/TwmlycXoL3I/AAAAAAAADPw/kM-dPgm0954/s1600/IMG_4189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jKGqBA1i26c/TwmlycXoL3I/AAAAAAAADPw/kM-dPgm0954/s320/IMG_4189.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We just used one of the communal ladles, I suppose they more likely to give you a disease than cure anything but hey, we were on a budget!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KT1obNlbcjI/TwmmTpfCVXI/AAAAAAAADQQ/jx_jNJbdPbE/s1600/IMG_4220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KT1obNlbcjI/TwmmTpfCVXI/AAAAAAAADQQ/jx_jNJbdPbE/s320/IMG_4220.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The communal ladles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TL5SO1_rNnk/Twml62RnGoI/AAAAAAAADP4/J1RyHHfVGP4/s1600/IMG_4191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TL5SO1_rNnk/Twml62RnGoI/AAAAAAAADP4/J1RyHHfVGP4/s320/IMG_4191.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some other tourists collecting their healing water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zyCCiqAuINU/Twmi7z5K9KI/AAAAAAAADNA/8E_zlmstq0M/s1600/IMG_4111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zyCCiqAuINU/Twmi7z5K9KI/AAAAAAAADNA/8E_zlmstq0M/s320/IMG_4111.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking down on the healing water spring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JiKpPS-JRTs/Twmkxn4bNaI/AAAAAAAADOw/RQvjn3UpTQY/s1600/IMG_4159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JiKpPS-JRTs/Twmkxn4bNaI/AAAAAAAADOw/RQvjn3UpTQY/s320/IMG_4159.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another unusual attraction in the temple was a place where you could write your troubles on rice paper and then dissolve them away</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vPaPlGsP3U/TwmlAsz7o9I/AAAAAAAADPA/XwAKW7H9QKg/s1600/IMG_4161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vPaPlGsP3U/TwmlAsz7o9I/AAAAAAAADPA/XwAKW7H9QKg/s320/IMG_4161.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even after the paper had dissolved the outlines of the ink remained, I guess it's not that easy to get rid of all your troubles!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little boards with prayers on</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.Just below the kiyomizu-dera temple there are loads of cafes and souvenir shops where we picked up some fans, and some little towels that you can use to mop the sweat from your brow. Better equipped to deal with the heat we took a walk through some or the streets and alleys in the Higashiyama area. These streets are filled with pretty houses, tea shops and souvenir stalls and are really nice to stroll though but most of the shops were very expensive so we resisted buying anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much needed fans!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone with more suitable attire than ours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty little street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sophie with a giant Totorro!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not a real geisha but a tourist dressed up, much easier to photograph than the real thing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then walked through Maruyama-koen park and visited Yasaka-jinja shrine. We decided to skip the last part of the walk as we were getting hungry and were quite close to our hostel. We ate dinner at a little izakaya (Japanese pub) nearby the hostel, the food was nothing special but they played the entire Beatles first album which made Sophie happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Yasaka-jinja shrine</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinner!</span></div>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244316682200849733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-65173549847641020312011-11-01T22:48:00.002+09:002012-04-03T16:46:03.728+09:00Japan! Take Two: Tokyo - Raw Fish and Duck Hunting<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, onto part 3 of our adventures in Japan in the summer of 2011 (click here for the </span><a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/10/japan-take-two-tokyo-around-asakusa.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">first part</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and the</span><a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/10/japan-take-two-tokyo-bright-lights-big.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> second part</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). This was our third day in Tokyo and our last as we would be heading down to Kyoto later on in the afternoon of this day. Our first stop was a visit to the famous Tsukuji wholesale fish market to take a look around and try some ultra fresh sushi.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Tsukiji_as_seen_from_Shiodome.jpg/350px-Tsukiji_as_seen_from_Shiodome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Tsukiji_as_seen_from_Shiodome.jpg/350px-Tsukiji_as_seen_from_Shiodome.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tsukiji Market. It is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and is located in central Tokyo. </span></span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Photo care of Wikipedia)</span> </div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The market opens at 3 a.m. most mornings when fish and seafood is delivered from all over the world. The produce is then prepared and valued ready for the auctions which usually start just after 5 a.m. By 7 a.m. the auctions are finished and many of the market shops start closing around 11 a.m. so it's not a place for people like me who hate early morning starts! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Vendors_begin_selling_their_fish_at_4am_at_the_Tsukiji_fish_market.jpg/800px-Vendors_begin_selling_their_fish_at_4am_at_the_Tsukiji_fish_market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Vendors_begin_selling_their_fish_at_4am_at_the_Tsukiji_fish_market.jpg/800px-Vendors_begin_selling_their_fish_at_4am_at_the_Tsukiji_fish_market.jpg" width="320" /></a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Vendors begin selling their fish really early in the morning at the Tsukiji fish market. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Photo care of Wikipedia)</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The market is a popular place for tourists to visit but it became a bit too popular in recent years. Too many tourists were crowding into the auction areas and causing problems, including touching incredibly expensive tuna. The tuna auction is now only open to the first 140 people on a first come first served basis. We couldn't face the idea of getting up really early, having to catch an expensive cab (as the subway wouldn't be running that early i.e. before 5 a.m.) and speeding over there just to find out we were tourists #141 and #142! So we enjoyed a lie in, got up at a normal time and checked out the rest of the market, though we were much too late for the tuna auction by then. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Tsukiji_Fresh_Tuna_Auction.JPG/800px-Tsukiji_Fresh_Tuna_Auction.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Tsukiji_Fresh_Tuna_Auction.JPG/800px-Tsukiji_Fresh_Tuna_Auction.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">End of the fresh tuna auction at Tsukiji </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Photo care of Wikipedia)</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started by looking around the small restaurants and shops on the edge of the market. There were a lot of people queuing up at the best little sushi restaurants, standing sweltering in the late morning heat. We were keen to get in on the action but were a little overwhelmed at first as all the menus were in Japanese and we couldn't work out how to order or what was even on offer. After a bit of indecision, we pulled ourselves together and chose a likely looking place with a long counter with just a few stools drawn up to it to sit on. There, we had the best tasting sushi either of us has ever eaten. Rowan was ecstatic!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbisS5azLGo/TwkawieNFPI/AAAAAAAAC_A/FwSqtt7kMK4/s1600/IMG_3668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbisS5azLGo/TwkawieNFPI/AAAAAAAAC_A/FwSqtt7kMK4/s320/IMG_3668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were many stalls at he market selling expensive knife sets like this one.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MR9GNIX-NSg/Twka2uNhS4I/AAAAAAAAC_I/gdpJoVrsH2M/s1600/IMG_3676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MR9GNIX-NSg/Twka2uNhS4I/AAAAAAAAC_I/gdpJoVrsH2M/s320/IMG_3676.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a huge amount of traffic in and around the market which made it quite a dangerous place to visit. It included little palette trucks like this, big arctic trucks,cars, motorbikes, all sorts and all moving fast. You had to always be on your guard. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwN1ltS9LiY/Twka9kejFGI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/B07-pxPhu9c/s1600/IMG_3681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwN1ltS9LiY/Twka9kejFGI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/B07-pxPhu9c/s320/IMG_3681.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A picture menu at one of the little </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sushi</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">restaurants</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in the market.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0VYV9N2Y1A/TwkbCs5wAUI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/qjnsXdchQoI/s1600/IMG_3682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0VYV9N2Y1A/TwkbCs5wAUI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/qjnsXdchQoI/s320/IMG_3682.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friendly chef standing by his menu.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8vKN3xlkALU/TwkbJFvBtrI/AAAAAAAAC_g/A2kQWCGzPcI/s1600/IMG_3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8vKN3xlkALU/TwkbJFvBtrI/AAAAAAAAC_g/A2kQWCGzPcI/s320/IMG_3693.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One particular restaurant was extremely popular and had a huge queue of people prepared to roast in the summer heat while they waited.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCBPJE1BAL8/TwkbUSsV7qI/AAAAAAAAC_w/TA6JIoAm154/s1600/IMG_3709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCBPJE1BAL8/TwkbUSsV7qI/AAAAAAAAC_w/TA6JIoAm154/s320/IMG_3709.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The knotted hankie round the head look was very popular among the market workers.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G44DDeR8PKU/TwkbZ115g9I/AAAAAAAAC_4/KZqteGND1nE/s1600/IMG_3714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G44DDeR8PKU/TwkbZ115g9I/AAAAAAAAC_4/KZqteGND1nE/s320/IMG_3714.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worker cycling by the little stalls and restaurants.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WNOl-kIum3g/TwkbfPxztOI/AAAAAAAADAA/s8cYxXLq61k/s1600/IMG_3715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WNOl-kIum3g/TwkbfPxztOI/AAAAAAAADAA/s8cYxXLq61k/s320/IMG_3715.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A woman beckoning people into one of the restaurants.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zMfMBpuaeks/Twkbk_3i0dI/AAAAAAAADAI/TQwNUbrwf4s/s1600/IMG_3717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zMfMBpuaeks/Twkbk_3i0dI/AAAAAAAADAI/TQwNUbrwf4s/s320/IMG_3717.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We chose a quieter restaurant next to the really popular one - we just couldn't bear to wait out in the heat. The restaurant was a very simple affair. A few customer stools were pulled up around an L-shaped counter behind which stood the chef, preparing the sushi while you watched.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-arr3byA4sXU/TwkbrnpnVPI/AAAAAAAADAQ/pmMV5UvePYY/s1600/IMG_3718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-arr3byA4sXU/TwkbrnpnVPI/AAAAAAAADAQ/pmMV5UvePYY/s320/IMG_3718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sushi menu. We were very grateful it had pictures too!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQv5w-GivKA/TwkbxlUSiXI/AAAAAAAADAY/c01bTCFSz9A/s1600/IMG_3724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQv5w-GivKA/TwkbxlUSiXI/AAAAAAAADAY/c01bTCFSz9A/s320/IMG_3724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">We started off by ordering a couple of pieces of best quality </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">fatty</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">tuna belly. Behind them, you can see some pieces of ginger which is used to cleanse your palette between courses.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ju9h9pnaoSg/Twkb-N1QI-I/AAAAAAAADAo/IpN_1LYRyHY/s1600/IMG_3734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ju9h9pnaoSg/Twkb-N1QI-I/AAAAAAAADAo/IpN_1LYRyHY/s320/IMG_3734.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Next we had a mixed selection of salmon and tuna. The salmon was particularly good, even better than the tuna which was surprising.</span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much of the market was closing up when we finally got to look around after stuffing our faces with sushi but it was still interesting. The main market is housed in a huge warehouse. Workers were mostly cleaning up, throwing away the fish heads and guts and packing away their stalls. I still managed to get some decent pictures despite the constant danger from the warehouse traffic.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ba3dV6JScgM/TwkcCqucy6I/AAAAAAAADAw/SkMpf37k8K0/s1600/IMG_3738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ba3dV6JScgM/TwkcCqucy6I/AAAAAAAADAw/SkMpf37k8K0/s1600/IMG_3738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ba3dV6JScgM/TwkcCqucy6I/AAAAAAAADAw/SkMpf37k8K0/s320/IMG_3738.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worker surrounded by boxes in the warehouse.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HCklrpD5Qmw/TwkcJX3_PFI/AAAAAAAADA4/GMhWPrMEr6E/s1600/IMG_3740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HCklrpD5Qmw/TwkcJX3_PFI/AAAAAAAADA4/GMhWPrMEr6E/s320/IMG_3740.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the market warehouse. The workers were all busy cleaning up by the time we looked round.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K8YBghK059A/TwkcQBjh88I/AAAAAAAADBA/Js5rPnLY_Vo/s1600/IMG_3742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K8YBghK059A/TwkcQBjh88I/AAAAAAAADBA/Js5rPnLY_Vo/s320/IMG_3742.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Workers were busy sloshing down the floor with buckets of water to clean up all the fish guts and dirt.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fWBq5tb5dCE/TwkcYCYk-HI/AAAAAAAADBI/ggjDeUxEJ60/s1600/IMG_3744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fWBq5tb5dCE/TwkcYCYk-HI/AAAAAAAADBI/ggjDeUxEJ60/s320/IMG_3744.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish heads!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eQ4AYpZtj0/TwkceL7nDXI/AAAAAAAADBQ/MhCPZdOwXHo/s1600/IMG_3749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eQ4AYpZtj0/TwkceL7nDXI/AAAAAAAADBQ/MhCPZdOwXHo/s320/IMG_3749.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Preparing</span> some fish.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-21hzMU7kZ9M/TwkckuYON0I/AAAAAAAADBY/qdPLGxBjjNM/s1600/IMG_3750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-21hzMU7kZ9M/TwkckuYON0I/AAAAAAAADBY/qdPLGxBjjNM/s320/IMG_3750.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More prep.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQYAgXFnkgU/TwkcrcG0AcI/AAAAAAAADBg/pS5OsPhbne0/s1600/IMG_3752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQYAgXFnkgU/TwkcrcG0AcI/AAAAAAAADBg/pS5OsPhbne0/s320/IMG_3752.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some kind of delicious looking slurry bucket! Don't think it was for sale!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05jDgyEZh6M/Twkcw5it3EI/AAAAAAAADBo/ofwTZxK_7Po/s1600/IMG_3754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05jDgyEZh6M/Twkcw5it3EI/AAAAAAAADBo/ofwTZxK_7Po/s320/IMG_3754.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Packing up for the day.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-or6oNFJaYDg/Twkc9dtTTvI/AAAAAAAADB4/0DwtgRCTQfQ/s1600/IMG_3758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-or6oNFJaYDg/Twkc9dtTTvI/AAAAAAAADB4/0DwtgRCTQfQ/s320/IMG_3758.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never seen so many men cleaning and doing the washing up at once!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ih682Pjv4UI/TwkdDZNlhGI/AAAAAAAADCA/LD3_49y_rV4/s1600/IMG_3767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ih682Pjv4UI/TwkdDZNlhGI/AAAAAAAADCA/LD3_49y_rV4/s320/IMG_3767.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Workers relaxing with a game at the end of their shift.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dhXJVcmtWZI/TwkdJy7ROCI/AAAAAAAADCI/Zm8dsG01Mfo/s1600/IMG_3768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dhXJVcmtWZI/TwkdJy7ROCI/AAAAAAAADCI/Zm8dsG01Mfo/s320/IMG_3768.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the warehouse. It was huge.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6iTOZrdAvY/TwkdW6TIdVI/AAAAAAAADCY/c3ulZwpTsQQ/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6iTOZrdAvY/TwkdW6TIdVI/AAAAAAAADCY/c3ulZwpTsQQ/s320/IMG_3778.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw very few actual fish at the market as we were late getting there. These were some of them.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPIaTSIzkeY/TwkdtsOzwZI/AAAAAAAADC4/R4HJaz80H6w/s1600/IMG_3798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPIaTSIzkeY/TwkdtsOzwZI/AAAAAAAADC4/R4HJaz80H6w/s320/IMG_3798.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crabs!</span><br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VgjJ_uNSKuc/TwkdjJT50sI/AAAAAAAADCo/imyp6ULExHQ/s1600/IMG_3785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VgjJ_uNSKuc/TwkdjJT50sI/AAAAAAAADCo/imyp6ULExHQ/s320/IMG_3785.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharpening knives.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dV61z2NTxUw/Twkdy6JZfRI/AAAAAAAADDA/4P3_pXn0-h4/s1600/IMG_3800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dV61z2NTxUw/Twkdy6JZfRI/AAAAAAAADDA/4P3_pXn0-h4/s320/IMG_3800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scrubbin</span>'.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pyL_BN8DhZM/Twkd45AbQWI/AAAAAAAADDI/tqNt4M0K_sQ/s1600/IMG_3809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pyL_BN8DhZM/Twkd45AbQWI/AAAAAAAADDI/tqNt4M0K_sQ/s320/IMG_3809.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More scrubbin'!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dbPluK6UkPw/Twkd_uLo4CI/AAAAAAAADDQ/UJw2VLius94/s1600/IMG_3814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dbPluK6UkPw/Twkd_uLo4CI/AAAAAAAADDQ/UJw2VLius94/s320/IMG_3814.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lobsters on ice</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hg3UZ0J3Rw/TwkeFvB38AI/AAAAAAAADDY/1PjdRU3Q0VU/s1600/IMG_3827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hg3UZ0J3Rw/TwkeFvB38AI/AAAAAAAADDY/1PjdRU3Q0VU/s320/IMG_3827.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Sweeping</span> up all the mess after the auction.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time we left Tsukuji, it was unbelievably hot. We decided to visit the nearby Hamarikyu Teien Gardens. It was a beautiful place with a great view of Tokyo Bay. We were given free audio guides in English to tell us about the gardens' history by a nice old Japanese man who wnated to make sure we could fully appreciate them. Unfortunately, we didn't make it all the way around as the intense, humid heat made it difficult to appreciate them or to think about anything except for the next chance of air con and ice cream! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i-Tw3bluPE0/TwkxIULEYjI/AAAAAAAADDo/0VWspMqCgCY/s1600/IMG_3835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i-Tw3bluPE0/TwkxIULEYjI/AAAAAAAADDo/0VWspMqCgCY/s320/IMG_3835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entrance to the beautiful Hamarikyu Gardens.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dca0doZTEYk/TwkxQUzOzII/AAAAAAAADDw/dx_bvC7VAwU/s1600/IMG_3837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dca0doZTEYk/TwkxQUzOzII/AAAAAAAADDw/dx_bvC7VAwU/s320/IMG_3837.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tall Tokyo buildings around the gardens.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-siqvgT2r6LI/TwkxepWJHxI/AAAAAAAADEA/wBZozXd51F0/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-siqvgT2r6LI/TwkxepWJHxI/AAAAAAAADEA/wBZozXd51F0/s320/IMG_3845.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People were hiding under their umbrellas to escape form the sun.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BoABDetB_xA/Twkxk9tJ23I/AAAAAAAADEI/oI0JnIQh0gU/s1600/IMG_3856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BoABDetB_xA/Twkxk9tJ23I/AAAAAAAADEI/oI0JnIQh0gU/s320/IMG_3856.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beautiful butterfly in the flower garden in Hamarikyu.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rDQSysSKfF0/Twkx4tvp-lI/AAAAAAAADEg/-XzOgznLjGM/s1600/IMG_3877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rDQSysSKfF0/Twkx4tvp-lI/AAAAAAAADEg/-XzOgznLjGM/s320/IMG_3877.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to good old Wikipedia, the Hamarikyu Gardens are surrounded by this sea water moat filled, by Tokyo Bay. With a view of the city skyscrapers behind.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A3IrPkefdYY/Twkx9kXnDJI/AAAAAAAADEo/c2GpI4wsOvs/s1600/IMG_3882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A3IrPkefdYY/Twkx9kXnDJI/AAAAAAAADEo/c2GpI4wsOvs/s320/IMG_3882.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More skyscrapers and a bridge in the far distance.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icrKzMvcilY/TwkyTUDn9jI/AAAAAAAADFA/OTQ2I0hhIJs/s1600/IMG_3887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icrKzMvcilY/TwkyTUDn9jI/AAAAAAAADFA/OTQ2I0hhIJs/s320/IMG_3887.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is part of the Koshindo Duck Hunting Field in the Hamarikyu Gardens. The duck hunting pool system was insanely complex. Apparently, every Japanese feudal lord worth his salt used to have one on his lands. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y64WUo6DOVA/TwkyeD8zGAI/AAAAAAAADFI/rai1vSBDUdw/s1600/IMG_3891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y64WUo6DOVA/TwkyeD8zGAI/AAAAAAAADFI/rai1vSBDUdw/s320/IMG_3891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Domestic ducks were </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reared</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the duck pond and used as decoys to lure wild ducks to the creek during a hunt. This strange structure is one of the observation sheds built at the end of the creek.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Once</span> we'd given up on the gardens, we headed back to the hostel to pick up our bags. Then we trekked over to the train station for the next leg of our journey - the high speed "shinkansen " train to Kyoto. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watch this space for the next post that will cover our journey to Kyoto, Japan's cultural heart, a city that is home to thousands of temples and shrines as well as most of the country's remaining geisha.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xq_HKFw35E4/Twkyylnrj2I/AAAAAAAADFY/NOnLCfE9W1w/s1600/IMG_3899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xq_HKFw35E4/Twkyylnrj2I/AAAAAAAADFY/NOnLCfE9W1w/s320/IMG_3899.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way to the train station we saw this poster reminding people of proper manners on the subway.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w44f7hVOV4U/Twky7YRPNeI/AAAAAAAADFg/EYzHhryForw/s1600/IMG_3900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w44f7hVOV4U/Twky7YRPNeI/AAAAAAAADFg/EYzHhryForw/s320/IMG_3900.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another (weirder) poster in the subway. Not quite sure what a scarecrow competition is when it's at home! </span></div></div></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-427960647462781422011-10-17T00:06:00.003+09:002012-03-02T22:24:22.695+09:00Japan! Take Two: Tokyo - Bright lights, big city<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, onto part two of our </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">adventures</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tokyo (<a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/10/japan-take-two-tokyo-around-asakusa.html" target="_blank">click here</a> for the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">first</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> part). On our second day in Japan we foolishly slept in late despite having had an early night the night before.. When we finally made it outside it was seriously hot! We kicked off the day by visiting nearby Ueno Park which was very pretty and home to some giant crows and a shrine as well as several museums although we didn't have time to look round them. We went to Ueno a lot as that was where our nearest major rail station was located and we were using Japan Rail passes to get around, both in Tokyo and for our only big journey, a return trip to Kyoto. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h6eH1D-hEuo/Twh-dlw0PHI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/wmO0O8vbMNs/s1600/IMG_3241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h6eH1D-hEuo/Twh-dlw0PHI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/wmO0O8vbMNs/s320/IMG_3241.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ueno Park hosts 3 major museums including the National Science museum, a concert hall, several shrines and Ueno Zoo. Unfortunately, we somehow missed most of those things and only made it to one of the shrines. I think this is the entrance to the Ueno<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Tōshō-gū shrine.</span></span></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9pqDIl40YUs/Twh-sYGunoI/AAAAAAAAC0g/wqHpBLi2Qno/s1600/IMG_3242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9pqDIl40YUs/Twh-sYGunoI/AAAAAAAAC0g/wqHpBLi2Qno/s320/IMG_3242.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty little stupa in the Ueno<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Tōshō-gū shrine. A </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Tōshō-gū shrine is any Shinto shrine that has been dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu. </span></span></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Ieyasu</span> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">was born in the 1543 and was a warrior and the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate dynasty. He was also responsible for making Tokyo the capital city of Japan. </span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-11XaB2ML84M/Twh-0KHkupI/AAAAAAAAC0o/bZm9bbXbT2M/s1600/IMG_3243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-11XaB2ML84M/Twh-0KHkupI/AAAAAAAAC0o/bZm9bbXbT2M/s320/IMG_3243.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is an Ojizo-sama statue. We saw these little red-bibbed figures in the grounds of most of the shrines and temples we visited in Japan. Apparently,</span></em><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 21px;"> </i><span style="line-height: 21px;">Ojizo-sama</span><i style="line-height: 21px;"> </i><span style="line-height: 21px;">is </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">a </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">Buddhist</span><i style="line-height: 21px;"> </i><span style="line-height: 21px;">deity </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">revered as the guardian of children, particularly those who died before their parents. Grieving parents put bibs, small children's clothing and even sometimes toys on the statues in the hope </span></span></span><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ojizo-sama will specially protect their lost loved ones.</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CIJoMN_tVSU/Twh_luE5TwI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/RWnVYuK_3NE/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CIJoMN_tVSU/Twh_luE5TwI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/RWnVYuK_3NE/s320/IMG_3263.JPG" width="320" /></a> </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The path to the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Tōshō-gū</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> shrine is lined with large stone lanterns which were donated by feudal lords.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MQDCujgZs7o/TwiAl_T105I/AAAAAAAAC2I/OcK6Qivykl8/s1600/IMG_3293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MQDCujgZs7o/TwiAl_T105I/AAAAAAAAC2I/OcK6Qivykl8/s320/IMG_3293.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another stone "torii" gate on the path to the <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">Tōshō-gū</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> shrine.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tvF0gNVmHKo/Twh_-wki2VI/AAAAAAAAC1o/a0Xnoe91ubU/s1600/IMG_3265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tvF0gNVmHKo/Twh_-wki2VI/AAAAAAAAC1o/a0Xnoe91ubU/s320/IMG_3265.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of some of the stone lanterns.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-euN4HJOeP94/TwiAMJZqknI/AAAAAAAAC1w/kgB-yBDnCaM/s1600/IMG_3275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-euN4HJOeP94/TwiAMJZqknI/AAAAAAAAC1w/kgB-yBDnCaM/s320/IMG_3275.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">These wooden plaques are called "ema". Shinto worshipers write their prayers or wishes on the ema and then leave them hanging at the shrine where the gods can read them. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SU9NnhpIrNs/TwiATUcGTJI/AAAAAAAAC14/m5yomMlYqsY/s1600/IMG_3277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SU9NnhpIrNs/TwiATUcGTJI/AAAAAAAAC14/m5yomMlYqsY/s320/IMG_3277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail of some "ema" in Ueno Park.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDQx_LuRJTw/Twh_bD77FXI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/6fw2s2vXV9M/s1600/IMG_3262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDQx_LuRJTw/Twh_bD77FXI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/6fw2s2vXV9M/s320/IMG_3262.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A statue pf the Imperial Prince Akihito in Ueno Park.</span></div></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3r-Nj2XZxLA/Twh-650rqII/AAAAAAAAC0w/RUr_D5bb4vM/s1600/IMG_3254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3r-Nj2XZxLA/Twh-650rqII/AAAAAAAAC0w/RUr_D5bb4vM/s320/IMG_3254.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ueno Park was filled with giant crows like this one.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iR0QXEmB_tw/Twh_DnU7cdI/AAAAAAAAC04/3YZlmBGQCRU/s1600/IMG_3258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iR0QXEmB_tw/Twh_DnU7cdI/AAAAAAAAC04/3YZlmBGQCRU/s320/IMG_3258.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were also hoards of huge cicadas in the park and everywhere in Japan in fact. Ueno Park was where I started my Japanese cicada obsession. I took loads of pictures of them and tried to convince Rowan that they were my minions! </span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, we headed over to see Otome Road, which literally translates to "Maiden Road", the supposed home to Tokyo's girl geeks. Otome Road is the nickname for a street in Ikebukuro district near to Ikebukuro Station. This street's nickname derives from a densely packed group of shops selling anime and manga merchandise aimed at women of the female persuasion. There is a similar and much more famous area in <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Akihabara</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> that caters specifically for manga/anime fans of the male persuasion that we visited later in our journey. Unfortunately, we found "Maiden Road" quite boring. We only saw a couple of comic book shops and it was dead quiet. We even checked the map a few times to make sure we were in the right place but it just turned out there wasn't a whole lot to see - out on the street anyways.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KTUdvmc-wfA/TwiBaXAV4II/AAAAAAAAC24/BLcMi8msZtg/s1600/IMG_3309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KTUdvmc-wfA/TwiBaXAV4II/AAAAAAAAC24/BLcMi8msZtg/s320/IMG_3309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are several K-BOOKS stores around the Otome Road area. Enough in fact to warrant a map. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VQvTJWbtxQg/TwiBgV3i9QI/AAAAAAAAC3A/WpN_yxgZdI8/s1600/IMG_3311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VQvTJWbtxQg/TwiBgV3i9QI/AAAAAAAAC3A/WpN_yxgZdI8/s320/IMG_3311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">K-BOOKS specialise in selling </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">doujinshi and manga aimed at female fans. Doujinshi is the Japanese term for self published works, usualy manga or magazines.</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4Gqd7OUlKU/TwiBneam45I/AAAAAAAAC3I/CT7Gwg5d13M/s1600/IMG_3312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4Gqd7OUlKU/TwiBneam45I/AAAAAAAAC3I/CT7Gwg5d13M/s320/IMG_3312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another K-BOOKS store! We didn't venture inside anywhere as we were short on time and my knowledge on manga, anime etc. is pretty minimal.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0i4tT_HxcOo/TwiBuRDOTqI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/GSBd_UV5o7M/s1600/IMG_3313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0i4tT_HxcOo/TwiBuRDOTqI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/GSBd_UV5o7M/s320/IMG_3313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a sign for a popular Butler Cafe called Swallowtail. This was in fact the first Butler Cafe in Japan. Butler Cafes are a kind of theme restaurant staffed by handsome, well dressed young men who treat the female customers like mistresses in a private home. There are equivalent places for male customers called Maid Cafes. These "Cosplay" (costume play) restaurants are very popular in Japan. <a href="http://gaijindiscount.blogspot.com/2010/05/butler-cafe.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read an account of one woman's visit to this Butler Cafe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, we paid a visit to the Yasukuni-jinja, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the men and women who died while fighting for Japan since 1869. According to Wikipedia it "lis<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">ts the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of Imperial Japan, </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">particularly to those killed in wartime." </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yasukuni is very controversial, especially in Korea and China, as it enshrines the souls of over 1000 Class-B and C war criminals and at least 14 Class-A war criminals </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from World War 2. Many of these were executed for their crimes by the Allied Forces after the war's end. Within the shrine, their souls are worshiped as deities rather than just remembered. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaQLcyq1yiw/TwiB8Ra901I/AAAAAAAAC3g/cI4T-kIbpjg/s1600/IMG_3316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaQLcyq1yiw/TwiB8Ra901I/AAAAAAAAC3g/cI4T-kIbpjg/s320/IMG_3316.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main entrance gate to the Yasakuni shrine. These traditional Japanese gates are called "torii" which means "bird perch" and are usually seen at the entrance to Shinto shrines. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, when prominent Japanese politicians, including prime minsters, have gone to pay their respects at this shrine with its war criminals, many people in China and Korea get quite upset about it. Which is understandable if you know what the Imperial Japanese regime did in those countries. Many people, both in Asia and around the world, see these visits as support for Japanese nationalism and a tacit denial of Japanese wartime atrocities. It's still a hot issue here in Korea, and numerous Korean groups have tried to file lawsuits demanding that the Japanese government remove the names of war criminals from the shrine. However, the Japanese </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Government doesn't have the power to do this as only the priesthood of Yasakuni can make decisions about who is or is not enshrined there. It's probably worth mentioning here that the current Emperor of Japan has refused to visit the shrine since he found out that the war criminals had been enshrined there. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyways, we weren't on a mission to honour the glorious war dead, just to have a look at the shrine and it was impressive, no doubt about that. It also houses one of Japan's very few museums dedicated to the Second World War.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xk6l3WKwAPg/TwiCEU44wpI/AAAAAAAAC3o/DD_lpggz_Ao/s1600/IMG_3320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xk6l3WKwAPg/TwiCEU44wpI/AAAAAAAAC3o/DD_lpggz_Ao/s320/IMG_3320.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stone lanterns on the path to the Yasakuni Shrine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rGLFNUSmZRU/TwiC7tTxjFI/AAAAAAAAC4w/2kuI1qG2Ug4/s1600/IMG_3372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rGLFNUSmZRU/TwiC7tTxjFI/AAAAAAAAC4w/2kuI1qG2Ug4/s320/IMG_3372.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main prayer hall of the Yasakuni shrine. Yasakuni means "Pacifying the Nation" apparently.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s6VYmxVz67Q/TwiD_CxCf6I/AAAAAAAAC6A/4X1aphzjF8k/s1600/IMG_3403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s6VYmxVz67Q/TwiD_CxCf6I/AAAAAAAAC6A/4X1aphzjF8k/s1600/IMG_3403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s6VYmxVz67Q/TwiD_CxCf6I/AAAAAAAAC6A/4X1aphzjF8k/s320/IMG_3403.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stone statue in Yasakuni shrine.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gP3LgaTIrB0/TwiEFWDLSOI/AAAAAAAAC6I/345gFFLyogg/s1600/IMG_3404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gP3LgaTIrB0/TwiEFWDLSOI/AAAAAAAAC6I/345gFFLyogg/s320/IMG_3404.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another cheeky looking fellow in the shrine.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PjeJ_xNIN7g/TwiDCTQW_GI/AAAAAAAAC44/p20nf9uW150/s1600/IMG_3379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PjeJ_xNIN7g/TwiDCTQW_GI/AAAAAAAAC44/p20nf9uW150/s320/IMG_3379.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cool metal fish/dragon creature just outside the <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Yūshūkan museum. The </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Yūshūkan</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> is war and military museum in the grounds of Yasakuni shrine. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dtv_yJIjDUo/TwiDIP6ZmDI/AAAAAAAAC5A/ZezwW89wNGQ/s1600/IMG_3382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dtv_yJIjDUo/TwiDIP6ZmDI/AAAAAAAAC5A/ZezwW89wNGQ/s320/IMG_3382.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This bronze statue commemorates the 5,843 kamikaze pilots who lost their lives carrying out suicide attacks against the Allies in World War 2.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bNwoF2jawfU/TwiDNiHYzeI/AAAAAAAAC5I/NMPA9AtoFPs/s1600/IMG_3384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bNwoF2jawfU/TwiDNiHYzeI/AAAAAAAAC5I/NMPA9AtoFPs/s320/IMG_3384.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The museum's A6M Zero Model 52 Fighter Aircraft.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jjTEV5CdjqI/TwiDcX5IuaI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/ETIBO019y5I/s1600/IMG_3391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jjTEV5CdjqI/TwiDcX5IuaI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/ETIBO019y5I/s320/IMG_3391.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is steam locomotive model C56 Number 31 which played an important role in Japan's campaign in Thailand. It was used on the Thai-Burma Railroad during the Second World War.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgjZpr81m14/TwiDxlpXN9I/AAAAAAAAC5w/vSavYeXHycg/s1600/IMG_3398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgjZpr81m14/TwiDxlpXN9I/AAAAAAAAC5w/vSavYeXHycg/s320/IMG_3398.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This gun is a 15cm howitzer. It belonged to the First Field Heavy Artillery Regiment who fought a desperate battle trying to defend Okinawa in the last days of World War Two. They fought to the,last man and went down with the gun. Note the damage. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anLNocCtqns/TwiD5EvOoGI/AAAAAAAAC54/RQVvn-kZYCE/s1600/IMG_3400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anLNocCtqns/TwiD5EvOoGI/AAAAAAAAC54/RQVvn-kZYCE/s320/IMG_3400.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a 15 cm Cannon used by the 100th Independent Heavy Artillery Batallion and was also found on Okinawa. It also has numerous deep gouges left by bullets and shrapnel.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once we'd had our fill of military history at the war museum, we went outside and stopped at a small cafe in the grounds of the shrine where we got an ice cream. This was when Rowan met his new bird!</span> </div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FMAjc2PSNIM/TwiCQvZhC6I/AAAAAAAAC34/OTZJWxaT-wU/s1600/IMG_3346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FMAjc2PSNIM/TwiCQvZhC6I/AAAAAAAAC34/OTZJWxaT-wU/s320/IMG_3346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were sitting outside at a picnic table eating ice cream to combat the intense heat when a small bird took a shine to Rowan - or perhaps it was to his ice cream!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHYGOK_cFLo/TwiCnmtcHoI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/17ZwQ1juwag/s1600/IMG_3350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHYGOK_cFLo/TwiCnmtcHoI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/17ZwQ1juwag/s320/IMG_3350.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eyes on the prize!</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--eeCkJrgivA/TwiCia_7w3I/AAAAAAAAC4Q/IIKXIxeAUvE/s1600/IMG_3349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--eeCkJrgivA/TwiCia_7w3I/AAAAAAAAC4Q/IIKXIxeAUvE/s320/IMG_3349.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going in for a taste! The bird ate some of Rowan's ice cream. It even sat on his hand for a few moments! Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get a photo of that as I'm an idiot.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7a38KARbqeg/TwiCKP2ERTI/AAAAAAAAC3w/ho-QAPV98Wg/s1600/IMG_3336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7a38KARbqeg/TwiCKP2ERTI/AAAAAAAAC3w/ho-QAPV98Wg/s320/IMG_3336.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also saw loads more cicadas in the grounds of the Yasakuni shrine.</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcA1gCBJfRM/TwiEMb7Sk3I/AAAAAAAAC6Q/6hul5CGXB7g/s1600/IMG_3417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcA1gCBJfRM/TwiEMb7Sk3I/AAAAAAAAC6Q/6hul5CGXB7g/s320/IMG_3417.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the empty outer casing shed by a cicada. You can find these hanging from leaves all over Japan and Korea in the summer.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i5ewfTgyWE0/TwiERKAM0HI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/DMTiuhUmII4/s1600/IMG_3419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i5ewfTgyWE0/TwiERKAM0HI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/DMTiuhUmII4/s320/IMG_3419.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cicada casing placed on Rowan's hand to give a sense of how big these things are.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all the war and ice cream we headed over to Shinjuku, the district that is home to Tokyo's tallest buildings. We made it just in time to go up to the top of the Metropolitan Government Building, right up to the 45th floor! Naturally, we got some amazing views out over the city from all the way up there!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ADP9u5LeFw/TwiIGLTDItI/AAAAAAAAC7Q/6e9zraBVGYY/s1600/IMG_3470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ADP9u5LeFw/TwiIGLTDItI/AAAAAAAAC7Q/6e9zraBVGYY/s320/IMG_3470.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standing on the 45th Floor of the Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku.</span><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6yknRyhW6Z0/TwiEX8mlenI/AAAAAAAAC6g/8BU9m5fVCo4/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6yknRyhW6Z0/TwiEX8mlenI/AAAAAAAAC6g/8BU9m5fVCo4/s320/IMG_3437.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The view from the top.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p6POBn8_gYw/TwiHgDR2QAI/AAAAAAAAC6o/Mpl7a21wSQY/s1600/IMG_3452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p6POBn8_gYw/TwiHgDR2QAI/AAAAAAAAC6o/Mpl7a21wSQY/s320/IMG_3452.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tokyo skyline.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mR_OttALiCE/TwiHuxf5ZsI/AAAAAAAAC64/fBD5l6vAifc/s1600/IMG_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mR_OttALiCE/TwiHuxf5ZsI/AAAAAAAAC64/fBD5l6vAifc/s320/IMG_3456.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More monstrously tall buildings.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QNMN2eqR-yk/TwiH3URjkMI/AAAAAAAAC7A/QIn0cmhR6wo/s1600/IMG_3459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QNMN2eqR-yk/TwiH3URjkMI/AAAAAAAAC7A/QIn0cmhR6wo/s320/IMG_3459.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This helpful picture was above the windows of the Metropolitan Government Building. It shows what we should have been able to see if it had been a clear day. One of the possible sights included Mt, Fuji.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Dv6GPax1mI/TwiIADEUh4I/AAAAAAAAC7I/D7JTNdIheAc/s1600/IMG_3461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Dv6GPax1mI/TwiIADEUh4I/AAAAAAAAC7I/D7JTNdIheAc/s320/IMG_3461.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, it wasn't a clear day so this is what we actually saw, no sign of Mt. Fuji.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our next stop was Shibuya, a district famed for its fashion, shopping and nightlife. Shibuya is home to Tokyo's busiest train station and to the Shibuya crossing, one of the most famous "pedestrian scramble" crossings in the world. For the uninitiated, a "pedestrian scramble" is a crossing system that "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">stops all vehicular traffic and allows pedestrians to cross an intersection in every direction, including diagonally, at the same time" </span>(cheers Wikipedia, what would I do without you!) The crossing in Shibuya is famous due to the sheer volume of people using it. When we crossed there, it was like being swept along in a human sea, a strange, unnerving but oddly exhilarating experience (though I expect it gets dull and irritating pretty quickly if you live there). We spent some time just wandering around Shibuya, enjoying the pulsing neon vitality of the place before finding somewhere to have some dinner. We ate some pretty average ramen and drank an expensive but tasty beer with it (drinking out is sooo expensive in Japan, it's enough to turn you tee total)!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gxZTTLAMuvw/TwiIyADN4SI/AAAAAAAAC74/fj96Xo-HKRI/s1600/IMG_3544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gxZTTLAMuvw/TwiIyADN4SI/AAAAAAAAC74/fj96Xo-HKRI/s320/IMG_3544.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The massed crowd waiting to cross Shibuya's "pedestrian scramble".</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TaqqgaQyfik/TwiIbsWo2ZI/AAAAAAAAC7g/gEQM1qnDWcE/s1600/IMG_3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TaqqgaQyfik/TwiIbsWo2ZI/AAAAAAAAC7g/gEQM1qnDWcE/s320/IMG_3486.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the pedestrian scramble.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VGgUkxgDW3I/TwiJSz9ox6I/AAAAAAAAC8Q/zqVHF1q0zx8/s1600/IMG_3557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VGgUkxgDW3I/TwiJSz9ox6I/AAAAAAAAC8Q/zqVHF1q0zx8/s320/IMG_3557.JPG" width="213" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bright lights of Shibuya. </span><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubBC8c9NnvM/TwiIOkkG0eI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/NOqr0ynFRTo/s1600/IMG_3482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubBC8c9NnvM/TwiIOkkG0eI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/NOqr0ynFRTo/s320/IMG_3482.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we walked out of the station, we were immediately confronted with an awesome </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">spectacle</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of huge lit up billboards all around us and an </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unbelievable</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> amount of neon - just the way that you'd always imagined Tokyo would be!</span> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9KFUSzyTmg/TwiIiN28bTI/AAAAAAAAC7o/8FZO9O8LxTQ/s1600/IMG_3488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9KFUSzyTmg/TwiIiN28bTI/AAAAAAAAC7o/8FZO9O8LxTQ/s320/IMG_3488.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These three young men are from a Korean boy band. Their pictures were on a massive billboard just outside Shibuya station. K-Pop is very popular in Japan, as it is across most of Asia. In fact, K-pop (Korean pop music), Korean dramas and Korean films are popular throughout Asia. This surge in popularity across Asia of Korean pop culture is known as "hallyu" meaning the "Korean wave". </span><br />
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</span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mo-oSQgU1BI/TwiKMnbQpoI/AAAAAAAAC9A/eRp6nHHAgZw/s1600/IMG_3600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mo-oSQgU1BI/TwiKMnbQpoI/AAAAAAAAC9A/eRp6nHHAgZw/s320/IMG_3600.JPG" width="213" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The area around Shibuya Station was a popular place to hang out and pose.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96OIAvhAZ7E/TwiI821cqHI/AAAAAAAAC8A/KDuFC7XiOxU/s1600/IMG_3553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96OIAvhAZ7E/TwiI821cqHI/AAAAAAAAC8A/KDuFC7XiOxU/s320/IMG_3553.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw a couple of young guys singing and selling their CDs out on the street in Shibuya.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygNbVHTYamA/TwiJH_UJcKI/AAAAAAAAC8I/YoJv6nxR_JA/s1600/IMG_3554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygNbVHTYamA/TwiJH_UJcKI/AAAAAAAAC8I/YoJv6nxR_JA/s320/IMG_3554.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was the other half of the singing duo looking cool and nonchalant.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gVUMQZoW3r0/TwiJhtQnZpI/AAAAAAAAC8g/3PSt4AUqJtk/s1600/IMG_3569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gVUMQZoW3r0/TwiJhtQnZpI/AAAAAAAAC8g/3PSt4AUqJtk/s320/IMG_3569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We popped inside a large amusement style arcade that had a casino in the basement to use their toilets.It looked pretty stylish but was devoid of customers. There were loads of people using the gambling machines though.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hb_0uQa3RSo/TwiJpKEY2TI/AAAAAAAAC8o/wWVfZEmheRs/s1600/IMG_3575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hb_0uQa3RSo/TwiJpKEY2TI/AAAAAAAAC8o/wWVfZEmheRs/s320/IMG_3575.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A romantic date shooting computer generated killer zombies. Ah, how sweet!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IBMVuTos5k8/TwiKg2m9ofI/AAAAAAAAC9Y/lmbJwAwxzp4/s1600/IMG_3606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IBMVuTos5k8/TwiKg2m9ofI/AAAAAAAAC9Y/lmbJwAwxzp4/s320/IMG_3606.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ramen (noodle dish) restaurant in Shibuya.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6xMurvBqoiw/TwiJ_NDnQMI/AAAAAAAAC84/dqzva_YGpUo/s1600/IMG_3587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6xMurvBqoiw/TwiJ_NDnQMI/AAAAAAAAC84/dqzva_YGpUo/s320/IMG_3587.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A rather average bowl of ramen that we ate in Shibuya. It was okay but it didn't really match up to the ramen that we had in Hakata on our first visit to Japan. Not surprising though I guess as Hakata is the home to ramen.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bg28cDa4LcU/TwiJzZ4R46I/AAAAAAAAC8w/MaLu-cyvhaY/s1600/IMG_3585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bg28cDa4LcU/TwiJzZ4R46I/AAAAAAAAC8w/MaLu-cyvhaY/s320/IMG_3585.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan enjoying a small but tasty (and expensive) beer with his ramen.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we headed back to Shibuya to check out the red light district, as you do! It seemed quite sedate and sophisticated for a red light district, just the usual neon signs advertising girly bars and some young guys with ridiculous hair-dos standing outside trying to attract some custom. We took a few pictures then headed home to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Asakusa and the hostel bar where we used our drink vouchers to get a couple of beers. It was nice enough in there but far too crowded so we didn't stay long before calling it a night.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFxcon9JISQ/TwiKwbKijbI/AAAAAAAAC9o/8g-ALww6x6k/s1600/IMG_3612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mFxcon9JISQ/TwiKwbKijbI/AAAAAAAAC9o/8g-ALww6x6k/s320/IMG_3612.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neon signs for DVDs and sexy ladyeez in Shibuya's red light district.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOLtl-0rE1s/TwiKnKC6QtI/AAAAAAAAC9g/MCIqnvmuSnI/s1600/IMG_3607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOLtl-0rE1s/TwiKnKC6QtI/AAAAAAAAC9g/MCIqnvmuSnI/s320/IMG_3607.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well dressed, surly young guys with David Bowie circa 1970s hairdos hung around outside the bars in Shibuya's red light district. Not sure what their role was.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPGMDo0t8y0/TwiK6az-hgI/AAAAAAAAC9w/Rgurpzlqd60/s1600/IMG_3616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPGMDo0t8y0/TwiK6az-hgI/AAAAAAAAC9w/Rgurpzlqd60/s320/IMG_3616.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weird billboard for sexy Tank Girls.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zCwDrm7u7ps/TwiLELtEHpI/AAAAAAAAC94/6Fwlf704b8U/s1600/IMG_3617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zCwDrm7u7ps/TwiLELtEHpI/AAAAAAAAC94/6Fwlf704b8U/s320/IMG_3617.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Tank Girls this time with guns.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JYsI6maI6jw/TwiLN3bBshI/AAAAAAAAC-A/EKkZ6D2x4Tg/s1600/IMG_3624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JYsI6maI6jw/TwiLN3bBshI/AAAAAAAAC-A/EKkZ6D2x4Tg/s320/IMG_3624.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woman in traditional garb advertising a restaurant in Shibuya.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Uev3mv7Ut0/TwiLToW4q2I/AAAAAAAAC-I/XC8apzvihsc/s1600/IMG_3633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Uev3mv7Ut0/TwiLToW4q2I/AAAAAAAAC-I/XC8apzvihsc/s320/IMG_3633.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giant plastic King Kong climbing up the side of a building in Shibuya.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SXG7ukicr6U/TwiLZhrCVTI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/faeZCTTeeoY/s1600/IMG_3634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SXG7ukicr6U/TwiLZhrCVTI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/faeZCTTeeoY/s320/IMG_3634.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adverts for more crazy hair dos.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HTlmd-s6jNw/TwiLnhVu4BI/AAAAAAAAC-g/fjRlcnO-Qa8/s1600/IMG_3639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HTlmd-s6jNw/TwiLnhVu4BI/AAAAAAAAC-g/fjRlcnO-Qa8/s320/IMG_3639.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not sure what this place was about. Some kind of sexy house of horrors perhaps?</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPwv4rOmRdk/TwiLxOcJM-I/AAAAAAAAC-o/KlbUyUbnD6o/s1600/IMG_3645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPwv4rOmRdk/TwiLxOcJM-I/AAAAAAAAC-o/KlbUyUbnD6o/s320/IMG_3645.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sign warning people not to smoke on the streets in Tokyo. Yep, that's right, you're not allowed to smoke outside in Tokyo.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9i1Fu-5PAX0/TwiL7Y9dT9I/AAAAAAAAC-w/lz0G-i2Igeo/s1600/IMG_3661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9i1Fu-5PAX0/TwiL7Y9dT9I/AAAAAAAAC-w/lz0G-i2Igeo/s320/IMG_3661.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cool cartoon guy on a billboard.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7LZ9AgrmwQ/TwiMGjjCvaI/AAAAAAAAC-4/pyz19VFfoGE/s1600/IMG_3662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7LZ9AgrmwQ/TwiMGjjCvaI/AAAAAAAAC-4/pyz19VFfoGE/s320/IMG_3662.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plus his gun-toting sidekick.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the next post, I'll give the lowdown on our visit to Tsukiji Fish Market where we tasted the best sushi we've ever eaten, our wanderings around the Hamarikyu Gardens and our first ride on the high speed Shinkansen train on our way to Kyoto.</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-60667133556707178782011-10-08T01:30:00.004+09:002012-03-02T22:40:46.040+09:00Japan! Take Two: Tokyo - Around Asakusa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, a post about our summer vacation in Japan! I can't believe we're so far behind with the blog - I'm suitably ashamed! <br />
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So - Japan: take two. Well, we went to Japan for 5 days in September 2010 for Chuseok (Korea's harvest festival-type holiday) and we fell in love with it!. That time we went to the most southerly Japanese mainland island, Kyushu, and visited various places there including <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2010/10/japan-part-1-busan-and-fukuoka.html" target="_blank">Fukuoka</a>, <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2010/10/japan-part-2-nagasaki.html" target="_blank">Nagasaki</a>, <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2010/10/japan-part-4-monkey-mountain-and-beppu.html" target="_blank">Beppu</a> and the active volcano <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2010/10/japan-part-3-mount-aso-volcano-and.html" target="_blank">Mount Aso</a>. We discovered that the food was delicious and made with passion, the countryside was beautiful and the Japanese people were friendly and helpful - even the driving was careful and polite, a nice change from the standards on the roads here in Korea. We'd vowed that we would return as soon as we could to see more of this strange and beautiful land and to take in the craziness that is Tokyo. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1lIPgYeKm3o/TKvhYu6L0_I/AAAAAAAAAy8/TTpYh0iT3gA/s1600/IMG_1136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1lIPgYeKm3o/TKvhYu6L0_I/AAAAAAAAAy8/TTpYh0iT3gA/s320/IMG_1136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beautiful wooden castle at Kumamoto. One of the places we visited on our first trip to Japan back in 2010.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the second week of August, as soon as Rowan got back from his 2 week bonus vacation back home in England, we headed out to Tokyo for a week of tasty treats and temple spotting in Tokyo and Kyoto. We only took a week for our summer vacation this time (usually we get 2 weeks) as we didn't have enough time before the new semester started due to Rowan's 2 weeks in the UK. Besides, we are definitely not rich enough to spend 2 weeks in Japan, much as we'd love to! So poor old Rowan arrived back in Hanam on Saturday 6 August after a long flight from England via Amsterdam and had to pretty much immediately drop one set of bags and grab another to go back to Incheon airport again. We stayed in our usual favourite motel in Incheon, the Orange Motel so that we were ready in position for our morning flight to Tokyo. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The flight to Tokyo was fine apart from some annoying problems as we were boarding. Unbeknownst to us, the plane was scheduled to carry on to Hawaii after it stopped at Japan making it a USA bound flight. That meant that we were not allowed to bring any liquids onto the plane even though we'd just bought (horribly overpriced) drinks in the departure lounge - Rowan was not at all amused! Korean customer service sucked as usual and consisted of laughing in our faces and not answering our questions - not helpful. Luckily for us the American chief steward had a better way of handling things and we ended up getting a free 2 litre bottle of bucks fizz and another of water - gotta love that American attitude to customer service! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.the-two-malcontents.com/wp-content/uploads/liquids-on-a-plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.the-two-malcontents.com/wp-content/uploads/liquids-on-a-plane.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, quite!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We arrived in Narita airport and went through the usual fingerprinting and photographing that greets tourists in Japan now. Then we caught the train to Tokyo proper which is an incredible 41 miles away from the airport. When we arrived at our hostel in Asakusa in Tokyo's old town, it was late afternoon and raining. Luckily, our hostel was clean and tidy and had huge amounts of information up on the walls to help visitors make the most of their time. We stayed at one of the Khaosan chain hostels in Tokyo as we'd been really impressed by the Khaosan hostel we'd stayed at in Fukuoka and it didn't disappoint. The private twin room was tiny and had bunk beds but was immaculately clean and pretty cheap compared to most places in Tokyo. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yuFbwwHGPn8/TwkzRUBpEfI/AAAAAAAADFw/0YtNdzN4yOc/s1600/IMG_3903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yuFbwwHGPn8/TwkzRUBpEfI/AAAAAAAADFw/0YtNdzN4yOc/s320/IMG_3903.JPG" width="213" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handy guides on the wall for Khaosan guests to take. They included info on the best way to get to key tourist sights and quick guides with useful Japanese phrases for picking up men or women depending on your preference!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ROSzGcZ9pZQ/TwkzHXXXWPI/AAAAAAAADFo/BoY2qXEkI8g/s1600/IMG_3902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ROSzGcZ9pZQ/TwkzHXXXWPI/AAAAAAAADFo/BoY2qXEkI8g/s320/IMG_3902.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The confusing multi coloured spaghetti of Tokyo's many subway lines.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P-EB_c0_QLI/TwkzYVzP3aI/AAAAAAAADF4/bV7adK-AAjI/s1600/IMG_3908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P-EB_c0_QLI/TwkzYVzP3aI/AAAAAAAADF4/bV7adK-AAjI/s320/IMG_3908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructive signs on the communal toilet in the hostel!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvJzZ5h1CYc/Twkzeg4bkSI/AAAAAAAADGA/UBmKNTrUQCs/s1600/IMG_3909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvJzZ5h1CYc/Twkzeg4bkSI/AAAAAAAADGA/UBmKNTrUQCs/s320/IMG_3909.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well meaning though poorly spelt poster reminding people to limit their power usage as this was just 5 months or so after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and seriously damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant causing power shortages and blackouts. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once we'd dumped our bags and got our free drink coupons (nice deal from the hostel!), we decided to take a stroll around Asakusa to try to get our bearings. Asakusa is a nice old fashioned district that still retains the atmosphere of a Tokyo of a bygone era. It used to be Tokyo's main entertainment and pleasure district from the 1600s to the early 1900s and had a large red light district and many kabuki theatres. Unfortunately, large parts of Asakusa were destroyed during the bombing</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">raids of World War Two</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and though some parts of the district were rebiuilt it never regained its former popularity as a pleasure district. Still, it made for a nice stroll and it is an easy area to just explore on foot. Asakusa contains Tokyo's most popular temple, Sensoji, some nice shopping streets and other smaller shrines and temples. As we wandered about the rain even stopped!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-22EVFG7hrYY/Twh7lUXempI/AAAAAAAACxY/3M2tOZoyFf8/s1600/IMG_3150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-22EVFG7hrYY/Twh7lUXempI/AAAAAAAACxY/3M2tOZoyFf8/s320/IMG_3150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The crossing sign man is dressed in a rather old fashioned style in Japan - nice hat!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6GX2JCrWPUc/Twh7s91G4VI/AAAAAAAACxg/5C7JKpgcMnM/s1600/IMG_3151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6GX2JCrWPUc/Twh7s91G4VI/AAAAAAAACxg/5C7JKpgcMnM/s320/IMG_3151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young baseball team cycling around Asakusa. Seems baseball is big in Japan too.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hu3RzqXhGpI/Twh7zy_uXOI/AAAAAAAACxo/cXvtZy7L148/s1600/IMG_3159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hu3RzqXhGpI/Twh7zy_uXOI/AAAAAAAACxo/cXvtZy7L148/s320/IMG_3159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cool looking bus in Asakusa.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p_DHlcPArIE/Twh77yBhOTI/AAAAAAAACxw/HPtX0C1YD2E/s1600/IMG_3160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p_DHlcPArIE/Twh77yBhOTI/AAAAAAAACxw/HPtX0C1YD2E/s320/IMG_3160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Downtown Asakusa. The man in front with the bandanna is wearing weird kangaroo-like rubber shoes with cloven toes to help him with his job - pulling around a pedicab. We saw these guys everywhere.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3xyV89dF7A/Twh8BymPBoI/AAAAAAAACx4/kQoXgCJj3iU/s1600/IMG_3162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3xyV89dF7A/Twh8BymPBoI/AAAAAAAACx4/kQoXgCJj3iU/s320/IMG_3162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is Kaminarimon, the first of two large entrance gates to the Sensoji Temple. The name means "Thunder Gate".</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OW2m0SiLcd0/Twh8HogRUnI/AAAAAAAACyA/6CERSGMrnx8/s1600/IMG_3166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OW2m0SiLcd0/Twh8HogRUnI/AAAAAAAACyA/6CERSGMrnx8/s320/IMG_3166.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kimono spotting in the rain!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLrDDVgTJ7U/Twh8Thu2y5I/AAAAAAAACyQ/D53dmdGmKe0/s1600/IMG_3169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLrDDVgTJ7U/Twh8Thu2y5I/AAAAAAAACyQ/D53dmdGmKe0/s320/IMG_3169.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A terrifyingly bad umbrella - arrrgghhh it's so sickeningly cute!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jol0UxTQokU/Twh8aj4gLcI/AAAAAAAACyY/vD26YNT5iBo/s1600/IMG_3171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jol0UxTQokU/Twh8aj4gLcI/AAAAAAAACyY/vD26YNT5iBo/s320/IMG_3171.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the Nakamise-dori shopping street which stretches from the <span style="background-color: white;">Kaminarimon gate to the Sensoji temple. There were lots of stalls selling mostly tourist trinkets and snacks.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NbMx8pUNUg4/Twh8h2wXL_I/AAAAAAAACyg/_93MXkv1Bws/s1600/IMG_3187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NbMx8pUNUg4/Twh8h2wXL_I/AAAAAAAACyg/_93MXkv1Bws/s320/IMG_3187.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This is the inner gate leading to the temple. This gate is called Hōzōmon</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">which means "Treasure-House Gate".</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9PfSpMn59k/Twh8oelZr7I/AAAAAAAACyo/Xru7-5EcgBY/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9PfSpMn59k/Twh8oelZr7I/AAAAAAAACyo/Xru7-5EcgBY/s320/IMG_3188.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tall pointy building is the pagoda of Sensōji.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dxk9nwZ_yEY/Twh9FbvEMaI/AAAAAAAACzI/lex2j8tyhAs/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dxk9nwZ_yEY/Twh9FbvEMaI/AAAAAAAACzI/lex2j8tyhAs/s320/IMG_3207.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sensoji is a Buddhist temple and was originally built in the 7th century. These buildings are all reconstructions though as the area was heavily bombed during the second world war.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the temple grounds we noticed a strange phenomena that we would see again and again at </span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">across Japan. This was the traditional practice of buying and consulting</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"omikuji". </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "Omikuji " literally means "sacred lottery" and they are random fortunes written on strips of paper that predict good or bad luck for the buyer. They offer one from a possible range of blessings from "great blessing" to "half blessing" to "great curse". Some then go on to list the buyer's fortune concerning love, health, travel etc. There are different ways of receiving "omikuji" including the old fashioned method of simply drawing the slip of paper from a box to the more high tech way of purchasing them form a red vending machine. The method at Senso-ji shrine was a little different. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEZ7mhqtZOg/Twh8-z-OvvI/AAAAAAAACzA/w_dLfUBJvJU/s1600/IMG_3201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEZ7mhqtZOg/Twh8-z-OvvI/AAAAAAAACzA/w_dLfUBJvJU/s320/IMG_3201.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">At the Sensoji shrine, people paid a 100 yen donation then shook a metal box like this one. The box was full of numbered wooden sticks and after some shaking one stick would fall out of a small hole.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Z-s9UbUDbA/Twh82yFdN8I/AAAAAAAACy4/Ok9H0-ogDQw/s1600/IMG_3200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Z-s9UbUDbA/Twh82yFdN8I/AAAAAAAACy4/Ok9H0-ogDQw/s320/IMG_3200.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, the buyer checked the number on the stick and took a paper fortune from the corresponding numbered drawer.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_bLYi6Ogkk/Twh8vBcs2sI/AAAAAAAACyw/-W4RVKjPBWg/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_bLYi6Ogkk/Twh8vBcs2sI/AAAAAAAACyw/-W4RVKjPBWg/s320/IMG_3196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Tying the "omikuji" to a pine tree or a wire is supposed to make good luck come true and avert bad fortune.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After looking at the temple we went on the hunt for some dinner. It took us forever to find somewhere but eventually we settled on a little place where we had some tasty gyoza dumplings. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESASv3Jbmys/Twh9hvXiXpI/AAAAAAAACzo/z2MCJl1EJZA/s1600/IMG_3228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESASv3Jbmys/Twh9hvXiXpI/AAAAAAAACzo/z2MCJl1EJZA/s320/IMG_3228.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A coin operated machine where you could choose, order and pay for a bowl of ramen. We passed this place on our first night in Tokyo but we didn't give it a go until some point later during our stay.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ggfh1Xhh3SM/Twh90eLYrtI/AAAAAAAACz4/C_iB5x_gR3Y/s1600/IMG_3230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ggfh1Xhh3SM/Twh90eLYrtI/AAAAAAAACz4/C_iB5x_gR3Y/s320/IMG_3230.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A sign for yet another ramen shop in Asakusa. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lGP9V7aDDTg/Twh99793lmI/AAAAAAAAC0A/XPG6UTbQaro/s1600/IMG_3231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lGP9V7aDDTg/Twh99793lmI/AAAAAAAAC0A/XPG6UTbQaro/s320/IMG_3231.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A weird food substitute (I think) that we saw for sale in a convenience store in Asakusa.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_GrP5ojHm0/Twh-HskPnUI/AAAAAAAAC0I/A6VTSoO6bZw/s1600/IMG_3232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_GrP5ojHm0/Twh-HskPnUI/AAAAAAAAC0I/A6VTSoO6bZw/s320/IMG_3232.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Pachinko parlour in downtown Asakusa. We saw loads of these all over Tokyo.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTyV7AWkHDw/Twh-SPYzfEI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/6qzD26lzS1c/s1600/IMG_3236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTyV7AWkHDw/Twh-SPYzfEI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/6qzD26lzS1c/s320/IMG_3236.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside the Pachinko parlour. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pachinko is a Japanese game that looks like a vertical pinball machine but has no flippers. It's used for gambling like slot machines in the West and the aim is to capture as many small metal balls as possible. They can be exchanged for prizes or money.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After eating, we headed back to the hostel. Being tired and, in Rowan's case probably a bit jet-lagged still, we decided to have an early night and went to bed. So ended our first day in Tokyo. <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/10/japan-take-two-tokyo-bright-lights-big.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the next post about our adventures in Japan which will include an account of our visit to the controversial </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yasukuni-jinja shrine, pictures of Rowan's new bird and our hunt for Tokyo's girl geeks in Otome Road.</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-31750364218969020022011-09-30T22:24:00.006+09:002012-02-16T16:27:51.297+09:00Boryeong Mud Festival 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Way back, on a humid weekend in late July, I travelled with some of my old mates from Gwangju-si to the Boryeong Mud Festival. The 14th Boryeong Mud Festival was held at Daecheon Beach in Boryeong city in </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Chungcheongnam-do, a province on the Western coast of Korea. </span></span></span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kLC-YiHjrTs/TvfHP57SVCI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/WCKu__6Amd0/s1600/SouthKoreanmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kLC-YiHjrTs/TvfHP57SVCI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/WCKu__6Amd0/s320/SouthKoreanmap.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Map of the provinces of South Korea. It's really quite a small country, about the same size as Portugal or Hungary according to Wikipedia.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This is probably the most </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">popular</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> summer festival in Korea and it seems to be virtually compulsory for all foreigners to attend at least once during their stay. It's popular with domestic </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">tourists</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> too and is one of the only places where I have ever seen large numbers of Korean women/girls wearing bikinis or with their shoulders shown at all in fact (in Korea women/girls wear ridiculously short shorts, so short sometimes that you can see their pockets sticking out from under the leg of their shorts but it is culturally taboo for women to show their shoulders or any cleavage </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">- just too sexy I guess!) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bZxks1Pk2mM/Twg3UFXUNbI/AAAAAAAACsg/KZG_NvCi7Ls/s1600/IMG_2790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bZxks1Pk2mM/Twg3UFXUNbI/AAAAAAAACsg/KZG_NvCi7Ls/s320/IMG_2790.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Korean female shoulders - OMG!!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The basic premise of the festival is mud. Lots of glorious, grey, sticky mud. You wrestle in it, paint yourself with it, make soap out of it and generally have a good time getting filthy. Also, I think it's supposed to improve the condition of your skin but I don't think most visitors really cared about that aspect of it! The area where the festival is held is famous for its abundance of mud and there is a fair sized local industry built up around the cosmetic benefits of it. In fact, according to Wikipedia the festival was</span></span></span> "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">originally conceived as a marketing vehicle for Boryeong mud cosmetics"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">.</span> <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Funnily enough though, Daecheon beach, where the festival actually takes place is a sand beach and doesn't have any of its own mud. The local authorities have to truck in tons of the grey stuff from the nearby Boryeong mud flats to use in the </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Mud Experience Land' on Daecheon's seafront.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-twfpw050fGU/TwhrU_OfU4I/AAAAAAAACvA/g2JSZ3L3Rn0/s1600/IMG_2909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-twfpw050fGU/TwhrU_OfU4I/AAAAAAAACvA/g2JSZ3L3Rn0/s320/IMG_2909.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boryeong Mud Festival is all about getting dirty! It's good for your health after all!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The festival was held over two weekends in July. We attended the second weekend on 23 July and we went with Adventure Korea, a tour group that specialises in arranging trips for foreigners in Korea. On a quick side note, I've been on a couple of Adventure Korea's trips now and they're always well organised and fun so if you're a fellow waygook in Korea looking for something to do at the weekend check them out </span></span><a href="http://adventurekorea.com/" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">here</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time of the festival I was midway through my 2 weeks of summer camp and Rowan was getting ready to head back to England for his 2 weeks of "bonus" vacation. If you're unfortunate enough to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">know us or </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">read this blog regularly (I'm sorry!) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">then you might remember that he got those extra 2 weeks for renewing his contract at the same school. I was, of course, not feeling at all embittered about losing my bonus vacation due to being forced to change schools because of the funding cuts. Oh no, not me. The trip to the mudfest was on the first weekend that I was to be without Rowan so it was a way to ease the pain of separation - oh the agony!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As is often the case with any Adventure Korea trip, we had to meet up really early in the morning at the Express Bus Terminal station in Seoul which is a pain for us folks who live out in the 'burbs. Rowan and I decided to spend out last night together in a fancy love motel in Seoul to lessen the pain of the early morning for me and to make it easier for him to get to the airport. The motel was cool, it had the best shower ever, a huge flatscreen TV and a jacuzzi, though sadly we couldn't figure out how to get the jacuzzi to work. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://aff.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max500/392/3924520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://aff.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max500/392/3924520.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giant TV!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://aff.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max500/392/3924572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://aff.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max500/392/3924572.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jacuzzi (that didn't work) .</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a super comfortable night in our pricey love motel, we said our goodbyes and I made my way to the Express Bus Terminal subway station. I didn't know it at the time, but that subway station is huge and has loads of exits so despite arriving with a few minutes to spare I still ended up jogging around the labyrinthine station trying to find the right exit - not a good start! I met my friends on the bus who were all bleary eyed from an evilly early start leaving </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gwangju-si at some unearthly hour to get to Seoul in time. Finally we were off. It took a couple of hours or so to get to Boryeong. To make things more "fun" Adventure Korea took us to the mud flats for our first stop before we even got to Daecheon Beach for the festival. The "fun" thing that we were all ordered to do was a mud marathon and there were no excuses for non-participation! I remember standing there wailing that I hadn't signed up for this and couldn't I just watch - no chance!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/285579_10150238810770143_508495142_7882060_7299913_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/285579_10150238810770143_508495142_7882060_7299913_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everybody did the marathon in the end whether they wanted to or not! This is the course stretching out into the distance. Note it's not a real "marathon" distance though, only 5km!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225997_761487366250_19901042_37635532_3909406_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225997_761487366250_19901042_37635532_3909406_n.jpg" width="214" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numbered and ready for the mud!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284184_761487570840_19901042_37635549_7831716_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284184_761487570840_19901042_37635549_7831716_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The motley Gwangju-si crew with their racing numbers on.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185279_761487421140_19901042_37635536_4937224_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185279_761487421140_19901042_37635536_4937224_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had to wear socks due to sharp stones and shells in the mud but someone still managed to slice their foot open.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/206094_761487835310_19901042_37635567_7654765_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/206094_761487835310_19901042_37635567_7654765_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me and Jen heading up the runners - the group of runners lagging behind at the back though, not the entire race of course! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222554_10150238816200143_508495142_7882075_161341_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222554_10150238816200143_508495142_7882075_161341_n.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was really hard work jogging through the cloying mud but it was fun.It looks overcast here but it was actually hot and humid - just another typical Korean summer day.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/285114_10150238815730143_508495142_7882069_610762_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/285114_10150238815730143_508495142_7882069_610762_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were various inflatable obstacles that we had to navigate during the marathon course. I got over this one no probs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183988_10150238816355143_508495142_7882080_3062450_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183988_10150238816355143_508495142_7882080_3062450_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this one too.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222399_10150238816325143_508495142_7882079_4263833_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222399_10150238816325143_508495142_7882079_4263833_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I got bounced out of the last obstacle by our friend Leif, who jumped on the inflatable wall as I was climbing over it. I landed face first in the mud and even managed to get mud on my teeth! You can see the offending red and yellow obstacle in the back ground here.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HaA88aY7JZ8/Twhs3xA3myI/AAAAAAAACxI/QivHzyjZyEM/s1600/IMG_3006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HaA88aY7JZ8/Twhs3xA3myI/AAAAAAAACxI/QivHzyjZyEM/s320/IMG_3006.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone got a medal for taking part in the mud race. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LnXz2oKrZZE/Twhs_sV1ZbI/AAAAAAAACxQ/WnuI_Lg_gcE/s1600/IMG_3009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LnXz2oKrZZE/Twhs_sV1ZbI/AAAAAAAACxQ/WnuI_Lg_gcE/s320/IMG_3009.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the reverse side of the medal there is an inscription that reads "For better your life" - love Korean English!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the marathon we changed into old army clothes. Then we were split into groups and played some silly team games including football (soccer), mud wrestling and chicken fighting. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/284354_10150238816500143_508495142_7882083_4594833_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/284354_10150238816500143_508495142_7882083_4594833_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jen and Amy in the mud wrestling ring. They were brutal fighters! The girls' bouts were much more vicious than the boys ones!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284369_10150238816615143_508495142_7882086_2002478_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284369_10150238816615143_508495142_7882086_2002478_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jen taking a girl down in the wrestling ring!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283099_10150238816925143_508495142_7882092_1812040_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283099_10150238816925143_508495142_7882092_1812040_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More wrestling, this time with a girl from each time being lifted up onto some guys' shoulders for the fight.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226164_145340828878245_124756974269964_272271_3252783_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226164_145340828878245_124756974269964_272271_3252783_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My team (on the right) preparing for the chicken fight. A chicken fight is hop on one leg and try to knock your opponents over without putting your foot down or falling yourself. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Photo care of Adventure Korea website)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all the team games were finished, we washed off the worst of the mud using a hose at the back of a big water truck, grabbed a beer and jumped back on the bus to the Mud Festival. Once we arrived we were assigned our guest house for the one night that we would be staying in Boryeong. They were big Korean style rooms with no beds, just blankets for sleeping on the floor. As we were a big group we had a whole big room to ourselves which was cool. Then it was our "free time" to go enjoy the festival. We had a look at the festival and then headed down to the beach to drink, swim and play in the sand.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiEtXDCbFGY/Twg1ao_3TTI/AAAAAAAACq4/mCT-JT3txTA/s1600/IMG_2718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiEtXDCbFGY/Twg1ao_3TTI/AAAAAAAACq4/mCT-JT3txTA/s320/IMG_2718.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Muddy faced mascots of the Boryeong Mud Festival. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Xrk8mxjn3Q/TwhrlknSioI/AAAAAAAACvY/VLCJNZAdFTM/s1600/IMG_2945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Xrk8mxjn3Q/TwhrlknSioI/AAAAAAAACvY/VLCJNZAdFTM/s320/IMG_2945.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a fenced off Mud Experience area on the sea front that you had to pay to enter. It had a few mud slides but we didn't bother cos we were too tight to pay!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185415_145341888878139_124756974269964_272285_6843869_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185415_145341888878139_124756974269964_272285_6843869_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The paying area also had a mud prison - not to sure what went on there but it sounded scary! (care of Adventure Korea website)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9hcJZ_Hgzlg/Twg2-QgGlDI/AAAAAAAACsQ/_9M-kiuoeB4/s1600/IMG_2777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9hcJZ_Hgzlg/Twg2-QgGlDI/AAAAAAAACsQ/_9M-kiuoeB4/s320/IMG_2777.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People in the Mud Experience area crawling through what looks like some kind of inflatable udder tunnel.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XbhlqXSfpE/Twg3ahJc_zI/AAAAAAAACso/4UDTh90kyYQ/s1600/IMG_2791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XbhlqXSfpE/Twg3ahJc_zI/AAAAAAAACso/4UDTh90kyYQ/s320/IMG_2791.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was an area where you could go and paint yourself, for free, with the health giving mud. I chickened out as I didn't want to risk trashing my camera - boring of me I know.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KERhDvIv74s/TwhrwL6MAFI/AAAAAAAACvo/EnpgoJgwkZ0/s1600/IMG_2957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KERhDvIv74s/TwhrwL6MAFI/AAAAAAAACvo/EnpgoJgwkZ0/s320/IMG_2957.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Identify the body part from the mud print.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185343_10150238817755143_508495142_7882109_4643999_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185343_10150238817755143_508495142_7882109_4643999_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gwangju-si mob fully muddied up and armed with a rubber ring.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHeYnmQYetU/Twg3tM9WfWI/AAAAAAAACs4/9HctpJCMy-Q/s1600/IMG_2809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHeYnmQYetU/Twg3tM9WfWI/AAAAAAAACs4/9HctpJCMy-Q/s320/IMG_2809.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And again, closer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-psr4-9TRtxU/Twg2mRsMHYI/AAAAAAAACr4/zkahCjFsbIQ/s1600/IMG_2756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-psr4-9TRtxU/Twg2mRsMHYI/AAAAAAAACr4/zkahCjFsbIQ/s320/IMG_2756.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was also coloured mud available for the more artistically minded.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgwHTjZsiM8/Twg38PqBpiI/AAAAAAAACtA/ZcmvLgsxRS8/s1600/IMG_2822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgwHTjZsiM8/Twg38PqBpiI/AAAAAAAACtA/ZcmvLgsxRS8/s320/IMG_2822.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left the mud sliding to the more sporting type and entertained ourselves drinking deadly cocktails in a bag on the beach.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/282544_10150238818565143_508495142_7882127_6480110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/282544_10150238818565143_508495142_7882127_6480110_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And burying Stephanie.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216949_10150238818270143_508495142_7882120_5020980_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216949_10150238818270143_508495142_7882120_5020980_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And playing with the rubber ring. Man, I love playing with rubber rings in the sea, a joy I only discovered here in Korea!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HD27sW8DqqA/Twg4WspT6CI/AAAAAAAACtQ/jPoupEuFVuc/s1600/IMG_2830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HD27sW8DqqA/Twg4WspT6CI/AAAAAAAACtQ/jPoupEuFVuc/s320/IMG_2830.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual Leif got all artistic and made a cool sand sculpture to hold his drink.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can imagine, people got totalled a bit early so by the time we went looking for dinner some people were a bit worse for wear! Some people went off to have seafood barbeque. I went with the non seafood crowd to a Korean restaurant and had my first taste of <i>b</i></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>udae jjigae </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(literally</span><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> "</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">army base stew"), a thick soup made with spam, veggies and hot dog sausages that's actually really tasty. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Korean.food-Budaejjigae-01.jpg/220px-Korean.food-Budaejjigae-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Korean.food-Budaejjigae-01.jpg/220px-Korean.food-Budaejjigae-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buddae jjigae or "army stew" originated during the Korean War when food was scarce. Hungry Korean citizens would use the surplus US army foods such as spam and hot dog sausages and boil them up in a spicy broth with kimchi and red pepper paste.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a few drinks by the beach that night and watched people letting off their handheld fireworks, a popular way to dice with death/disfigurement here. We ended up having a fairly early night as everyone was so knackered from the early start. It was raining the next morning so we had a bit of a late start. We trekked across town for ages trying to foind the local Lotteria, Korea's answer to McDonalds. I had my usual - the mighty European Frico Cheese Burger - it was awesome! Then the rain soon stopped and once the sun came out it turned into a real scorcher of a day. We spent our last day in Boryeong browsing the little stalls at the festival, making mud soap and enjoying the sunshine.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIfKRzU9LS4/TwhraiVJDzI/AAAAAAAACvI/DWBoP9LrOL0/s1600/IMG_2919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mIfKRzU9LS4/TwhraiVJDzI/AAAAAAAACvI/DWBoP9LrOL0/s320/IMG_2919.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pottery made out of mud.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2cE5_1Iapqk/TwhrCrpHZLI/AAAAAAAACuo/1h120MHBTyg/s1600/IMG_2898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2cE5_1Iapqk/TwhrCrpHZLI/AAAAAAAACuo/1h120MHBTyg/s320/IMG_2898.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mud soap stall.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y76d_YnUA_w/TwhrIG8gxcI/AAAAAAAACuw/0tUGKyOPGcY/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y76d_YnUA_w/TwhrIG8gxcI/AAAAAAAACuw/0tUGKyOPGcY/s320/IMG_2900.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David making his own soap.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNLdf6mEbB8/TwhrOqQxseI/AAAAAAAACu4/fZdntRtHjzg/s1600/IMG_2904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNLdf6mEbB8/TwhrOqQxseI/AAAAAAAACu4/fZdntRtHjzg/s320/IMG_2904.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The moulds we made our mud soaps in. We had to choose a design and a scent for our soap. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qfssS7_Oe8/TwhrqZ_gGwI/AAAAAAAACvg/u41Qk-5LJVU/s1600/IMG_2956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qfssS7_Oe8/TwhrqZ_gGwI/AAAAAAAACvg/u41Qk-5LJVU/s320/IMG_2956.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stephanie with her soap - she chose the same design as me!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lZ6Fb4nEet4/Twhr1GuK0lI/AAAAAAAACvw/msJLwEBVuxg/s1600/IMG_2962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lZ6Fb4nEet4/Twhr1GuK0lI/AAAAAAAACvw/msJLwEBVuxg/s320/IMG_2962.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And of course we had a samul nori performance too on the last day! Every Korean festival has to have one.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SA8eycTt978/Twhr7AYRe4I/AAAAAAAACv4/88byNTDReHM/s1600/IMG_2966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SA8eycTt978/Twhr7AYRe4I/AAAAAAAACv4/88byNTDReHM/s320/IMG_2966.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They even let the muddy foreigners have a bash!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pL3i40ky8B4/TwhsA67v2OI/AAAAAAAACwA/hbNiKKTLTVY/s1600/IMG_2967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pL3i40ky8B4/TwhsA67v2OI/AAAAAAAACwA/hbNiKKTLTVY/s320/IMG_2967.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This guy got really into it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IhhLnXbsGbY/TwhsS-cTkDI/AAAAAAAACwY/RrW3UuZU0iY/s1600/IMG_2984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IhhLnXbsGbY/TwhsS-cTkDI/AAAAAAAACwY/RrW3UuZU0iY/s320/IMG_2984.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the crowd of Korean amateur photographers loved him!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IdiGozcO-Uk/TwhsfoU7JLI/AAAAAAAACwo/cSPMdWd0V1Q/s1600/IMG_2989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IdiGozcO-Uk/TwhsfoU7JLI/AAAAAAAACwo/cSPMdWd0V1Q/s320/IMG_2989.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many people decided to carry on getting muddy but we decided to try to stay clean on the second day. Would have got some funny looks on the subway covered in green mud!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, all good things have to come to an end. We got taken by bus back to Seoul in the afternoon and I said goodbye to my friends and went home to an empty apartment - boo hoo for me! It was strange. I had to cook for myself. After week 2 of summer camp was over, I had a week of deskwarming to do which meant seeing nobody all day for days on end. But I grew to quite enjoy the hermit lifestyle. That's not to say I wasn't happy when Rowan finally came back, armed with goodies from home. We didn't have much time to enjoy them though as we were going away on vacation the same day he got back. Next stop - Japan!</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-47084487398195581892011-09-25T22:08:00.006+09:002012-02-16T16:28:46.186+09:00English Summer Camp 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Way back, in the last 2 weeks of July, it was hot and humid and raining lots which meant: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a) that it was another sticky Korean summer </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">b) I was spending all my free time researching what we would do on our holiday</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">c) it was time for another English "Camp".</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it was English Summer Camp 2011 and my first camp at my new middle school in Hanam. In fact, this was our third English camp in South Korea and we were starting to feel like old hands at it by then I think. (To read about our previous English camps or to have a look at our old materials, click here for <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-summer-camp-and-desk-warming.html">Summer 2010</a> and <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/01/harry-potter-winter-camp-2010-11.html">Winter 2010</a>). In common with "camps" at both my previous school and Rowan's school and in fact most (if not all schools) in Korea, there wasn't a scrap of canvas in sight and certainly no camp fire as camps here just mean an extra curricular program which the kids attend during the holidays. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2668673353_0bcc3e163b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2668673353_0bcc3e163b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the end of the road for canvas fans.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/morrbyte/morrbyte0909/morrbyte090900037/5503888-a-no-camping-no-fires-sign-in-knockanore-county-waterford-in-the-south-of-ireland-in-summer-on-the-b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/morrbyte/morrbyte0909/morrbyte090900037/5503888-a-no-camping-no-fires-sign-in-knockanore-county-waterford-in-the-south-of-ireland-in-summer-on-the-b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My top 2 rules for English camp. Especially no fires. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_738522011"></span><span id="goog_738522012"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The set up for camp was a bit different at my new school. There used to be two native speaker English teachers at my school but due to the funding cuts I am the only one there now. This meant that, in the past, there were two English camps run at the same time, each lasting for two weeks. One camp was for the 1st graders (13-14 year olds) and the other was for 2nd graders (14-15 year olds) and each camp was supposed to have around 20 kids in it, though of course you always get a few who don't turn up. Now that I was all alone (sob) camp had to be a bit different. I was actually quite lucky for once. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At first there was talk of putting the 1st and 2nd graders together in one group but it was decided that this was actually a stupid idea as students in Korea really don't mix well with kids who are not from the same school year as them (age is VERY important here as it denotes how much respect you get - or not as the case may be - thanks a lot Confucius!) and the idea of working with someone a few months younger seems totally alien / impossible to them. This was excellent news for me as it meant that I had to teach two separate camps, one for each age group, and as I only have to teach camp for 2 weeks it was arranged that I would teach one week of 1st and 1 week of 2nd grade, This meant I could repeat my materials so I only had to come up with 5 days of organised fun - assah! (앗싸 - Korean exclamation like "yay" or "awesome" or something similar). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LAuKvKVL5tM/Ty_y45SQK8I/AAAAAAAADv8/1FcS6em3CB8/s1600/assah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LAuKvKVL5tM/Ty_y45SQK8I/AAAAAAAADv8/1FcS6em3CB8/s1600/assah.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">앗싸! Sophie Teacher was so happy at the lighter workload that she dyed her hair blue and started seeing stars!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another positive of at my new school was that there was a much bigger budget for camp which meant more food and materials and even a trip out to the cinema for the 2nd graders and to the local bowling alley for the 1st graders. My previous school always had a tiny camp budget, certainly not enough to do any trips out of school. On the negative side though, the group sizes of camps at my new school was considerably bigger (up to 20 kids per camp) as the Principal wanted to stuff as many in as possible to make the school's commitment to English look good on paper. This made it harder for me to control and give individual students much attention and meant that instead of getting the good, enthusiastic students with half decent English who actually wanted to be there I got loads of naughty, soccer obsessed boys who had been press ganged into attending and just wanted to eat snacks, go on the trip and speak as little English as possible. Not so cool. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y0I8FAimDBc/TvcupOBpUuI/AAAAAAAAChM/_EFpTg5tJDg/s1600/IMG_2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y0I8FAimDBc/TvcupOBpUuI/AAAAAAAAChM/_EFpTg5tJDg/s320/IMG_2444.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My classroom at my new school in Hanam. Set up ready for camp. The calm before the storm!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the camp was so short I decided not to theme it </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this time as I had at my previous school but to just do different stuff each day. The problem with teaching at a co-ed school is that girls and boys generally like wildly different things by the time they get to middle school so it's quite tough doing things that will appeal to all the students. My answer was to mix and match the activities, some aimed more at the boys, others at the girls but to try not make any too gender specific. Sometimes I think Rowan is lucky only teaching boys, it makes it easier to use material that will get most of the kids' attention. As before, Rowan and I tried to share some material to cut down on the planning workload. I think he did a Space themed camp this time with lots of stuff about the solar system and planets but we worked together on some stuff. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I taught my 1st grade camp first (easier for me to remember). As usual, Day 1 kicked off with introductions, setting out the camp rules such as "Don't be late", "No fighting" and "Try to speak in English not Korean" (ha ha - as if they're ever followed!), dividing the kids into teams, getting them to choose English names and playing some warm up games to get the students used to each other (as they are drawn from every class in their year they won't all know each other well). At my new school they have a badge machine so we made name badges to which was quite fun. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hiFIrXeO3BE/Tvcu-Nl_zAI/AAAAAAAAChc/S2xaJUWKQOA/s1600/IMG_2447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hiFIrXeO3BE/Tvcu-Nl_zAI/AAAAAAAAChc/S2xaJUWKQOA/s320/IMG_2447.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I let the students pick their own team names which often results in rather dull, unimaginative names. However, team 3 picked a rather unfortunate one and I didn't pick up on it until it was too late - whoops, bad teacher!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8y-XRuIUc4/TvcuUZU2FTI/AAAAAAAACg8/kSJEnxxZ4N4/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8y-XRuIUc4/TvcuUZU2FTI/AAAAAAAACg8/kSJEnxxZ4N4/s320/IMG_2438.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Team 1 - The Pepsi team. Mainly comprised of soccer obsessed boys who were hard work to control but their English wasn't too bad and their team work was amazing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QaUwZ6pFYbw/TvcuKKmwv-I/AAAAAAAACg0/LbZsV4EyJvo/s1600/IMG_2437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QaUwZ6pFYbw/TvcuKKmwv-I/AAAAAAAACg0/LbZsV4EyJvo/s320/IMG_2437.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Team 2 - Sophie's students - sucking up never hurt anyone!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WR86esLD5VY/TvcufVrgW2I/AAAAAAAAChE/VPyfiz0vCD4/s1600/IMG_2439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WR86esLD5VY/TvcufVrgW2I/AAAAAAAAChE/VPyfiz0vCD4/s320/IMG_2439.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Team 3 - the unfortunately titled School Killers - I still feel bad about that name but they were nice boys.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-NInDhZcng/TvctraJ4FUI/AAAAAAAACgc/fYOJhjaXJc0/s1600/IMG_2423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-NInDhZcng/TvctraJ4FUI/AAAAAAAACgc/fYOJhjaXJc0/s320/IMG_2423.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students in my 1st grade camp playing a warm up game that is a mixture of an egg and spoon relay race and CONSTANTINOPLE. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFby_XqnQGQ/Tvct_DOjEdI/AAAAAAAACgs/c7mZ6X_pV1A/s1600/IMG_2431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cFby_XqnQGQ/Tvct_DOjEdI/AAAAAAAACgs/c7mZ6X_pV1A/s320/IMG_2431.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The teams have to race with their "egg" (a ping pong ball) on a spoon to the board and write one word beginning with each letter of CONSTANTINOPLE. One student writes a word then races back for the next one to have a go. Fun but causes total chaos and abundant cheating of course!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">I think </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Day 1 is always the hardest to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">teach</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> as the kids are not used to each other yet and don't know what to expect from the teacher so the atmosphere can be quite stilted. Rowan and I have tried various ways of tackling this but nothing has worked 100% yet. Maybe there's amagic ice breaker game out there that I'm unaware of that would solve all my problems - answers on a postcard to...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, this time we tried to get over this problem by having more games and less worksheets on Day 1 but it still didn't quite work. Maybe the games weren't right, maybe the mix of students wasn't the best. Actually, in my 1st grade camp, I had the worst ever Day 1 yet. One boy was getting bullied by some other boys. When I challenged them, their excuse was that he was "dirty". They explained it to me like I was being stupid for not realising this. I was suitably unimpressed and warned the culprits in no uncertain terms but it wasn't the best start to camp. Like I say, it's hard to control a group of 15 - 20 kids in a language which is foreign to them and enforcing hard-line discipline and breaking up fights (yes, it started descending to a physical fight at one point) is no fun at all. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://malecelebworkouts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Brad-Pitt-Workout-Fight-Club-Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://malecelebworkouts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Brad-Pitt-Workout-Fight-Club-Pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first rule of English Camp is: You do not talk about English Camp.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Day 2 was a better day. I got one of my co-teacher's to have a word with the main bullies in Korean to make sure they understood that they could not behave like that again or they would be sent home and that seemed to help. Day 2 was all about the Egg Drop Challenge and T-shirt painting. Predictably the boys were more into the egg drop and the girl's were more excited about painting t-shirts but it was generally a good balanced day. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w5PbvLzvdAE/TvcuzAobHQI/AAAAAAAAChU/IzKicwNhFTk/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w5PbvLzvdAE/TvcuzAobHQI/AAAAAAAAChU/IzKicwNhFTk/s320/IMG_2445.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Materials set out for the Egg Drop Challenge. For the uninitiated, the Egg Drop Challenge is a popular science project in schools around the world. The idea is that each team must build a structure to hold their egg out of limited materials and then all the structures are dropped form increasing heights. Last team with an intact egg wins.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9w6QlBLxkSA/TvcvmKaaVLI/AAAAAAAACh8/JKO9ORF_QRI/s1600/IMG_2460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9w6QlBLxkSA/TvcvmKaaVLI/AAAAAAAACh8/JKO9ORF_QRI/s320/IMG_2460.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The egg-stremely brave little pilots, unsung heroes of the Egg Drop Challenge.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bs0-eTfJk6A/TvcvxcA1k3I/AAAAAAAACiE/yo9wM1axZME/s1600/IMG_2465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bs0-eTfJk6A/TvcvxcA1k3I/AAAAAAAACiE/yo9wM1axZME/s320/IMG_2465.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each of the teams made quite different structures. I gave them a limited amount of materials that included balloons, string, a plastic bag, some cardboard, paper, wooden chopsticks, toilet roll tubes and rubber bands</span>.</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zAQjdTL9dxc/Tvcwaj5H6DI/AAAAAAAACik/JQpTauNfC1I/s1600/IMG_2485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zAQjdTL9dxc/Tvcwaj5H6DI/AAAAAAAACik/JQpTauNfC1I/s320/IMG_2485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The soccer obsessed boys team really got into this challenge and worked extremely well together. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vo-sTYIPpg/TvcwkhqQqNI/AAAAAAAACis/p6Z1eOzrwGA/s1600/IMG_2487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vo-sTYIPpg/TvcwkhqQqNI/AAAAAAAACis/p6Z1eOzrwGA/s320/IMG_2487.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They made a cool structure reminiscent of a box kite frame with the egg suspended in the toilet roll tube using rubber bands to hold it in place.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bfjf24ApsSo/TvcwvZMqdcI/AAAAAAAACi0/DYadL7N9lSI/s1600/IMG_2494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bfjf24ApsSo/TvcwvZMqdcI/AAAAAAAACi0/DYadL7N9lSI/s320/IMG_2494.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then they added a plastic bag on top to act as a kind of parachute.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1eTqZwXDoqY/Tvcw6zKksAI/AAAAAAAACi8/mN2Ig-oQ4vU/s1600/IMG_2497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1eTqZwXDoqY/Tvcw6zKksAI/AAAAAAAACi8/mN2Ig-oQ4vU/s320/IMG_2497.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The girls' structure was a flimsier affair made out of chopsticks bound together with rubber bands.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PF-OeIGz7K4/TvcxFMASMFI/AAAAAAAACjE/t2Dfg7nqSJY/s1600/IMG_2499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PF-OeIGz7K4/TvcxFMASMFI/AAAAAAAACjE/t2Dfg7nqSJY/s320/IMG_2499.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other boys' team made a kind of weird balloon parcel around their egg. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iDfPy_ckLXE/TvcxOkopSQI/AAAAAAAACjM/SdzydYmJwzs/s1600/IMG_2504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iDfPy_ckLXE/TvcxOkopSQI/AAAAAAAACjM/SdzydYmJwzs/s320/IMG_2504.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An egg-stronaut nervously awaits its maiden voyage.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNc3m3e-kvs/Tvc2yzVjTNI/AAAAAAAACjY/QolgZr9VV30/s1600/IMG_2505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNc3m3e-kvs/Tvc2yzVjTNI/AAAAAAAACjY/QolgZr9VV30/s320/IMG_2505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Pepsi team preparing to launch their structure on the first drop.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iMKSQw9VRQ/Tvc3YFZFUgI/AAAAAAAACj4/MkgtMhbNfpk/s1600/IMG_2513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iMKSQw9VRQ/Tvc3YFZFUgI/AAAAAAAACj4/MkgtMhbNfpk/s320/IMG_2513.JPG" width="213" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The girls' launch their egg on drop 1.</span><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JqPac1L-jKE/Tvc3PDWnYBI/AAAAAAAACjw/_kE9TEZRbu0/s1600/IMG_2511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JqPac1L-jKE/Tvc3PDWnYBI/AAAAAAAACjw/_kE9TEZRbu0/s320/IMG_2511.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Team 3 dropping their egg structure. Drop 1 was very short and everyone survived it easily.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4PuXz7oh9NA/Tvc3kMUW_-I/AAAAAAAACkA/FduqXLuz8sg/s1600/IMG_2515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4PuXz7oh9NA/Tvc3kMUW_-I/AAAAAAAACkA/FduqXLuz8sg/s320/IMG_2515.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drop 2 was a little higher but still everyone survived it easily.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2L0d1gXx13w/TwPiW-ivV9I/AAAAAAAACpg/qUcCjgrNC08/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2L0d1gXx13w/TwPiW-ivV9I/AAAAAAAACpg/qUcCjgrNC08/s320/DSCF0001.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this was the last drop. We threw the structures out of the windows of the boys' toilets on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors.</span> </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_cvaxczWh0/Tvc4ENkQiGI/AAAAAAAACkY/1XQlTL293q0/s1600/IMG_2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_cvaxczWh0/Tvc4ENkQiGI/AAAAAAAACkY/1XQlTL293q0/s320/IMG_2521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Game over!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-in21ruRfC-M/Tvc4RD4_OHI/AAAAAAAACkg/7D_7aOn8yp0/s1600/IMG_2522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-in21ruRfC-M/Tvc4RD4_OHI/AAAAAAAACkg/7D_7aOn8yp0/s320/IMG_2522.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think everybody's structures failed when dropped from the 4th Floor.</span> </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khjWN0PE71c/Tvc4Y4WsnGI/AAAAAAAACko/p6BYi9yTYmo/s1600/IMG_2525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khjWN0PE71c/Tvc4Y4WsnGI/AAAAAAAACko/p6BYi9yTYmo/s320/IMG_2525.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the last test landing, the egg-straunauts were left as nothing but empty shells. They finally cracked under the pressure.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAxEe80J66Y/Tvc42q4QLLI/AAAAAAAAClA/1v_5DBddccw/s1600/IMG_2530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAxEe80J66Y/Tvc42q4QLLI/AAAAAAAAClA/1v_5DBddccw/s320/IMG_2530.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the egg drop challenge, we got down to some t-shirt painting. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RK17I8oyEuY/Tvc4_2tR0YI/AAAAAAAAClI/HBf5KfqOR4E/s1600/IMG_2536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RK17I8oyEuY/Tvc4_2tR0YI/AAAAAAAAClI/HBf5KfqOR4E/s320/IMG_2536.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dinosaur design was my favourite.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ixTHIL3avfk/Tvc5J_PLcMI/AAAAAAAAClQ/E38wCySDGls/s1600/IMG_2540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ixTHIL3avfk/Tvc5J_PLcMI/AAAAAAAAClQ/E38wCySDGls/s320/IMG_2540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The soccer obsessed boys made boring attempts at copying their favourite sports shirts.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1ZVmn3O9fI/Tvc5UcJpx_I/AAAAAAAAClY/n4tOXpoMk8g/s1600/IMG_2550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1ZVmn3O9fI/Tvc5UcJpx_I/AAAAAAAAClY/n4tOXpoMk8g/s320/IMG_2550.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was when things started to go wrong! and get messy!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Y7XCWigQ70/Tvc5e4_ZU9I/AAAAAAAAClg/Bee5l-7YeZk/s1600/IMG_2551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Y7XCWigQ70/Tvc5e4_ZU9I/AAAAAAAAClg/Bee5l-7YeZk/s320/IMG_2551.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh dear! </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aRF3O-hZ9zU/Tvc5pOxX1yI/AAAAAAAAClo/wukZHtzibsw/s1600/IMG_2553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aRF3O-hZ9zU/Tvc5pOxX1yI/AAAAAAAAClo/wukZHtzibsw/s320/IMG_2553.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Painty handprints everywhere!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YQdrXqytSWI/Tvc50DdNELI/AAAAAAAAClw/EqAbs1RjgTA/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YQdrXqytSWI/Tvc50DdNELI/AAAAAAAAClw/EqAbs1RjgTA/s320/IMG_2557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The design looked quite cool at first but the kids couldn't stop and it turned a bit muddy!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjshsAnR_nE/Tvc6HwyGazI/AAAAAAAACmA/PrFiXuDojFs/s1600/IMG_2559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjshsAnR_nE/Tvc6HwyGazI/AAAAAAAACmA/PrFiXuDojFs/s320/IMG_2559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were a few Jackson Pollack style designs too!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual we had a cooking day and this time we cooked pancakes. The 1st graders really enjoyed cooking and were all pretty good at it too. Several kids flipped the pancakes and I don't think any got dropped. Even better, the boys and the girls seemed to be equally enthusiastic about it! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bjzvU52noTI/Tvc6S1tHiaI/AAAAAAAACmI/GYcG5w_b83E/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bjzvU52noTI/Tvc6S1tHiaI/AAAAAAAACmI/GYcG5w_b83E/s320/IMG_2563.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mixing it up.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R5ib7kWT9gE/Tvc6nowXDQI/AAAAAAAACmY/d02Uyk9xjK8/s1600/IMG_2566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R5ib7kWT9gE/Tvc6nowXDQI/AAAAAAAACmY/d02Uyk9xjK8/s320/IMG_2566.JPG" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cookin</span>'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WMs06tnISuw/Tvc6yruECnI/AAAAAAAACmg/NRGQ5Dzvjck/s1600/IMG_2570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WMs06tnISuw/Tvc6yruECnI/AAAAAAAACmg/NRGQ5Dzvjck/s320/IMG_2570.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Splashing on the pancake syrup.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JLcd83xZf78/Tvc67GrLbDI/AAAAAAAACmo/iRJyO8je1dU/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JLcd83xZf78/Tvc67GrLbDI/AAAAAAAACmo/iRJyO8je1dU/s320/IMG_2577.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The students ate their pancakes with chopsticks of course.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vlffef2pSG8/Tvc7FvVlW9I/AAAAAAAACmw/GI0ZIdmeSNI/s1600/IMG_2580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vlffef2pSG8/Tvc7FvVlW9I/AAAAAAAACmw/GI0ZIdmeSNI/s320/IMG_2580.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual there were a few kids who went condiment crazy with the pancake syrup.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 4 was trip day and we went bowling in Hanam. My co-teacher Sunny came along to help too. It was a scorching hot day and we tried our best to keep to the shade as we made the 20 minute walk across town to the bowling alley. We pretty much just let the kids get on with it and play together. Sunny and I played a few matches together. I managed to impress my soccer obsessed boys with my (purely lucky) prowess with a bowling ball - I was on fire that day! I'm not sure what the educational value was of taking the kids bowling but they enjoyed it and we learnt the key vocabulary for it the day before so whatever I guess, it wasn't my idea, just something my school does.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--B1RlYlQmvc/Tvhkruxo2qI/AAAAAAAAAr4/aPAwTx-uvk8/s1600/IMG_2586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--B1RlYlQmvc/Tvhkruxo2qI/AAAAAAAAAr4/aPAwTx-uvk8/s320/IMG_2586.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This little chap always makes me laugh, he's quite precocious and has excellent English. I always think of him as the "Spongebob student" as he has a Spongebob pencil case and similar glasses. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GHw7p4D7q6s/TvhkyRI9l6I/AAAAAAAAAsA/IyHaNKJV3UM/s1600/IMG_2587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GHw7p4D7q6s/TvhkyRI9l6I/AAAAAAAAAsA/IyHaNKJV3UM/s320/IMG_2587.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Spongebob getting some advice pre-throw.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eYB7v22mWUc/Tvhk5ZLb6YI/AAAAAAAAAsI/BQu4cTbQ0As/s1600/IMG_2592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eYB7v22mWUc/Tvhk5ZLb6YI/AAAAAAAAAsI/BQu4cTbQ0As/s320/IMG_2592.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Action pose #1.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1rlnWg-fbM/Tvhk_XPenUI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/2IJGCsl4Yvs/s1600/IMG_2602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1rlnWg-fbM/Tvhk_XPenUI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/2IJGCsl4Yvs/s320/IMG_2602.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Action pose #2 - think he let go too early.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uh5u7NrE1fA/TvhlGA8PysI/AAAAAAAAAsY/OXLTDiYyulk/s1600/IMG_2607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uh5u7NrE1fA/TvhlGA8PysI/AAAAAAAAAsY/OXLTDiYyulk/s320/IMG_2607.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunny gets another gutter ball.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z6FWWXjXrBY/TvhlMzaJxiI/AAAAAAAAAsg/QxLFPZmejMs/s1600/IMG_2609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z6FWWXjXrBY/TvhlMzaJxiI/AAAAAAAAAsg/QxLFPZmejMs/s320/IMG_2609.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me throwing straight down the centre again - woohoo!</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELsvid5tino/TvhlalUiJ6I/AAAAAAAAAsw/weHp7kO9Vvw/s1600/IMG_2618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELsvid5tino/TvhlalUiJ6I/AAAAAAAAAsw/weHp7kO9Vvw/s320/IMG_2618.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stopped in the nick of time!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7bgEiPwuxpY/Tvhlh6k8PDI/AAAAAAAAAs4/qFw8sbCD97s/s1600/IMG_2619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7bgEiPwuxpY/Tvhlh6k8PDI/AAAAAAAAAs4/qFw8sbCD97s/s320/IMG_2619.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assah!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As always, the last day was used for camp review and to play a few last games. I also ran a kind of scavenger hunt too in which the teams had to run around the school taking photos of things on their cell phone s, drawing picture and fulfilling other random challenges including singing me a song in English. I got the usual Beatles songs sung to me with varying degrees of embarrassment and gusto. I like the scavenger hunt part of the day, it gets the kids active and they always enjoy a chance to use their phones. We rounded off the 1st grade camp with a 'pizza party' - basically the kids stuff their faces with pizza and drink coke. Again not sure what the educational value of that is but it was a fun way to end things I guess. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJvFzjky2OI/TvhmD8_7xKI/AAAAAAAAAtg/HbYq0D96Le0/s1600/IMG_2667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJvFzjky2OI/TvhmD8_7xKI/AAAAAAAAAtg/HbYq0D96Le0/s320/IMG_2667.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the scavenger hunt challenges was to draw a picture of an elephant riding a bicycle.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T6SPKUCYLlI/TvhmQhE7BnI/AAAAAAAAAtw/2v9i_fyrU_w/s1600/IMG_2672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T6SPKUCYLlI/TvhmQhE7BnI/AAAAAAAAAtw/2v9i_fyrU_w/s320/IMG_2672.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pizza party time.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the following week I had to repeat the whole thing again but with the 2nd graders this time. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The group size was a lot smaller this time so it was much more manageable. 2nd graders tend to be lazier and harder to engage so they presented a different challenge to the rowdy, hyperactive 1st graders. I think I only had boys turn up for </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 2nd grader camp which made it easier in a way as they were all interested in the same kind of stuff. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BRwiKR_hxdQ/TwPic6p5d2I/AAAAAAAACp4/nwmdGhH2XRc/s1600/DSCF0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BRwiKR_hxdQ/TwPic6p5d2I/AAAAAAAACp4/nwmdGhH2XRc/s320/DSCF0018.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We played games on Day 1 just as we had in the 1st grade camp.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duSLTY6qhCs/TwPia5D-ObI/AAAAAAAACpw/J_vNl4GBPbA/s1600/DSCF0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duSLTY6qhCs/TwPia5D-ObI/AAAAAAAACpw/J_vNl4GBPbA/s320/DSCF0007.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Possibly a bit of cheating going on here in the egg and spoon race!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RyVkst19akQ/TwPifEXn78I/AAAAAAAACqA/17Wi8B6fgyQ/s1600/DSCF0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RyVkst19akQ/TwPifEXn78I/AAAAAAAACqA/17Wi8B6fgyQ/s320/DSCF0023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The boys made badges with their team names and English names. One team was called Billy's Kingdom which seemed to be the source of much hilarity though I'm not sure why. Possibly it was because they'd seen the film Billy Elliot at some point and associated the name with a lack of manliness of something?</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3uUB66K6Lo/TvhmW7utWvI/AAAAAAAAAt4/E13G--Abbow/s1600/IMG_3022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3uUB66K6Lo/TvhmW7utWvI/AAAAAAAAAt4/E13G--Abbow/s320/IMG_3022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cheeky lad with the English name of William who also comes to my after school class.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpF8wtqbkFA/TvhmkgHtN2I/AAAAAAAAAuI/k6NITNrryD0/s1600/IMG_3030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpF8wtqbkFA/TvhmkgHtN2I/AAAAAAAAAuI/k6NITNrryD0/s320/IMG_3030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had the egg drop challenge on Day 2.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y1RWz-qDzCI/TvhmrjsLi1I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/NKJDrrg1XWo/s1600/IMG_3031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y1RWz-qDzCI/TvhmrjsLi1I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/NKJDrrg1XWo/s320/IMG_3031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As there were so few students on Day 2 and they were pretty well behaved, I decided to make my own structure out of polystyrene sheets, toilet roll tubes, chopsticks, tape, string and a plastic bag for a parachute.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3gC37k9DTM/Tvhm-CnnieI/AAAAAAAAAuo/fEPopSsdKqs/s1600/IMG_3044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3gC37k9DTM/Tvhm-CnnieI/AAAAAAAAAuo/fEPopSsdKqs/s320/IMG_3044.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The students made heavy use of the balloons as usual. They seemed to think that tying loads of balloons filled with aior would somehow make their structure fly - bless 'em!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DSvqF94qcB0/TvhnKrjGoVI/AAAAAAAAAu4/pbkusjPgLS8/s1600/IMG_3049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DSvqF94qcB0/TvhnKrjGoVI/AAAAAAAAAu4/pbkusjPgLS8/s320/IMG_3049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me dropping my trusty structure from the first drop.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MvF3UDX3qbI/TvhnSQ9UEfI/AAAAAAAAAvA/YZMsXvMeSnA/s1600/IMG_3051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MvF3UDX3qbI/TvhnSQ9UEfI/AAAAAAAAAvA/YZMsXvMeSnA/s320/IMG_3051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The balloon boys at one of the higher drops.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KUo0LBN5yI/TvhnhBGUjqI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/5-z742JnCqU/s1600/IMG_3055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KUo0LBN5yI/TvhnhBGUjqI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/5-z742JnCqU/s320/IMG_3055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My structure looked cool but it was rubbish and was the first to break - all style no substance!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGmYmwcWBFg/TvhnvVO-wDI/AAAAAAAAAvg/l4_X70_MLiA/s1600/IMG_3060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGmYmwcWBFg/TvhnvVO-wDI/AAAAAAAAAvg/l4_X70_MLiA/s320/IMG_3060.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balloon boys at the final drop form the top floor window.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41K1l_DH0rs/Tvhn909QKBI/AAAAAAAAAvw/BxAZsEgTvok/s1600/IMG_3064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41K1l_DH0rs/Tvhn909QKBI/AAAAAAAAAvw/BxAZsEgTvok/s320/IMG_3064.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Th victorious balloon boys with their intact egg.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bqo5-OPIyR4/TvhoFgRL3NI/AAAAAAAAAv4/raUS-kbqmds/s1600/IMG_3068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bqo5-OPIyR4/TvhoFgRL3NI/AAAAAAAAAv4/raUS-kbqmds/s320/IMG_3068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And holding up their winners' chocolate bars.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEVYSKCBNVw/TvhoS8KDdrI/AAAAAAAAAwI/ymL_Sl3c3vo/s1600/IMG_3070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEVYSKCBNVw/TvhoS8KDdrI/AAAAAAAAAwI/ymL_Sl3c3vo/s320/IMG_3070.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the egg drop, the boys painted t-shirts. It was a lot more orderly and easier to clean up than the 1st graders' session had been.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Day 3 disaster struck. It started raining heavily and didn't stop. There were serious floods all over South Korea that caused several deaths, including 3 people who died in flooding in our old hometown of Gwangju-si when the local river burst its banks. The river didn't qite overflow in Hanam but it wasn't far off. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sXOkq8-7ruE/Tvw5gY6vx8I/AAAAAAAACnE/qYx1b3mEobc/s1600/IMG_2655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sXOkq8-7ruE/Tvw5gY6vx8I/AAAAAAAACnE/qYx1b3mEobc/s320/IMG_2655.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the small stream that runs behind our apartment in Hanam, taken in June 2011.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ_g5Nk5S70/Tvw5nKEZqbI/AAAAAAAACnM/rtHHivXJSAA/s1600/IMG_3075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ_g5Nk5S70/Tvw5nKEZqbI/AAAAAAAACnM/rtHHivXJSAA/s320/IMG_3075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is that same 'stream' in July on the 3rd day of my 2nd grade camp during the incredibly heavy rains that claimed at least 38 lives due to flash flooding and landslides.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHeuaaVm-sA/Tvw7Fj7oySI/AAAAAAAACpE/0AQUu8nTvmo/s1600/IMG_3125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHeuaaVm-sA/Tvw7Fj7oySI/AAAAAAAACpE/0AQUu8nTvmo/s320/IMG_3125.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same scene a few hours later once the water level had dropped away. Note the flattened grass.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CuzrTl6uNvY/Tvw51b12dmI/AAAAAAAACnc/7e8A-jnQgwM/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CuzrTl6uNvY/Tvw51b12dmI/AAAAAAAACnc/7e8A-jnQgwM/s320/IMG_3084.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Umbrellas offered no real protection as the rain was coming down so hard it just bounced up onto your legs again.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hylWwzST1cI/Tvw6DaTcs-I/AAAAAAAACns/bd1mLphGS9I/s1600/IMG_3091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hylWwzST1cI/Tvw6DaTcs-I/AAAAAAAACns/bd1mLphGS9I/s320/IMG_3091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some schools cancelled their summer camps but not mine of course!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ToeDmG17XgA/Tvw6JK0BtHI/AAAAAAAACn0/9L_9HDN1i0Q/s1600/IMG_3092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ToeDmG17XgA/Tvw6JK0BtHI/AAAAAAAACn0/9L_9HDN1i0Q/s320/IMG_3092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I arrived at school drenched and chilled to the bone I found that water was pouring in through gaps where the windows didn't close properly - onto all the computer stuff.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQ6L91DjnSc/Tvw6OqxulkI/AAAAAAAACn8/6S5q6E92MDQ/s1600/IMG_3093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQ6L91DjnSc/Tvw6OqxulkI/AAAAAAAACn8/6S5q6E92MDQ/s320/IMG_3093.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried to sto the flow with old towels but quickly ran out and had to just drag everything away from the window.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d6EQ_0DUM7A/Tvw6T_lvWkI/AAAAAAAACoE/AEaAH4ywfh4/s1600/IMG_3094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d6EQ_0DUM7A/Tvw6T_lvWkI/AAAAAAAACoE/AEaAH4ywfh4/s320/IMG_3094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The few brave students who actually turned up to school for camp and for other extra classes were drafted into bailing water out of the gym.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0kiAXe5nx2c/Tvw6fUruR5I/AAAAAAAACoU/fiPFfpgJpQ8/s1600/IMG_3106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0kiAXe5nx2c/Tvw6fUruR5I/AAAAAAAACoU/fiPFfpgJpQ8/s320/IMG_3106.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whole school was leaking. It's a relatively old building by Korean standards and it continued to leak throughout the rainy season.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Tp3vkXhtDI/Tvw7NQ3_gyI/AAAAAAAACpM/BUxFJoxo8MI/s1600/IMG_3138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Tp3vkXhtDI/Tvw7NQ3_gyI/AAAAAAAACpM/BUxFJoxo8MI/s320/IMG_3138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Days later there were still diggers moving all the mud off the pavements by the side of the stream.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All this rain didn't get me out of having to teach camp for the day though. Neither did the fact that I only had 2 kids turn up. When they were released from mopping up duties we tried to do some cooking but the gas supply to the kitchen seemed to have been lost somehow in all the flooding so we gave up and watched Die Hard 2 instead. This was possibly a mistake as I had forgotten how much swearing there was in that movie and my Korean co-teacher looked a little shocked when he walked in to be greeted by a hail of f@#k you's from the screen - oh well.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Day 4 we headed out to the cinema to watch the final installment of the Harry Potter movies along with about half the teachers in the school it seemed who were all more than happy to get free tickets to come care of the school. Not sure why they all got tickets or why my co-teacher was able to bring his kids along for free too - the way my school usually react when I ever ask forf anything had led me to believe that it was strapped for cash! Like the time when I asked if they would replace the ink cartridge in the English room printer and they said no but I could buy a new one myself if I wanted to - cheers guys! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We wrapped up on Day 5 with party games and a scavenger hunt just like with the 1st graders and the 2nd grade boys even shared their pizza with me - they can be kind sometimes! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of week 1 of summer camp, Rowan went home for his 2 weeks of bonus vacation that he received because he renewed his contract with the same school. As I had been forced to change schools due to the funding cuts I was stuck in Korea all on my lonesome ownsome. I soon got used to it though and became a bit of a hermit. He was away for my second week of camp and my first week of deskwarming. I grew to quite like it though I think I may have started talking to myself sometime during the week of deskwarming but that's nothing new with me! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall I think summer camp 2011 went well despite some serious teething problems with the 1st grade camp on day 1. The egg drop was fun and going out on trips really got the students excited too even if they didn't learn much English from it! </span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-84632120357956681532011-09-20T22:15:00.003+09:002012-02-16T16:32:47.563+09:00White Water Rafting<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know that July 1 is Canada Day? No, me neither. But living and working in Korea has taught me many things about other cultures and not just Korean culture. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Canadian friends enlightened us about this day that commemorates the birth of their fine nation and it was decided that we should do something fun to celebrate.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="234" src="http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/93/95593-004-9EECB2CA.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm so ignorant of Canadian culture. Look, even these young kids knew when Canada Day was.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our super organised friend Jen (who also happens to be a Canadian citizen/expert) arranged, with the help of her extremely obliging Korean co-teacher, Miyoung, for us all to go white water rafting for the weekend. They booked rooms at a pension house out in the wilds of northern Gyeonggi province, up near the border with North Korea, at a place called Gwanin, a rural district of Pocheon city. Jen warned us to "bring some drinking supplies" as she wasn't sure if they would have a convenience store out there "in the country". She was right, it was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains, trees and with a large river (I think it was the Hantan) running close by for us to raft on.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.worknplayconsulting.com/GEPIK/image/pocheon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://www.worknplayconsulting.com/GEPIK/image/pocheon.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pocheon City is in Northern Gyeonggi province, on the border with North Korea. (photo from Worknplay Consulting website)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://armour.ws/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Korean-artilery-fire-onPocheon-mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://armour.ws/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Korean-artilery-fire-onPocheon-mountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in case I'd forgotten that we live in a country that is technically still at war - I was looking for pictures of Pocheon and this one was pretty high up the list - it shows a Korean artillery live fire exercise on Pocheon mountain from Dec 2010. It seems Pocheon is a popular place for the Korean and US armies to practice their moves.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got up early in the morning on Saturday and swapped Hanam for the noisy, crowded Gangbyeon Bus Terminal in East Seoul where we met our friends coming from Gwangju-si in time to catch the 10am bus to Pocheon. The bus took nearly two hours and followed a rather meandering route out into ever smaller towns and villages. When we arrived in Gwanin we were herded into a minivan and driven at breakneck speed (is there any other speed in Korea?) to our pension house. Having survived that journey, I was sure that the rafting would be a walk in the park in comparison. I think I might have even shouted at the driver in Korean to slow down and/or possibly sworn at him. Bad Sophie, but I hate other people gambling with my life and those of my friends because they want to get off for a cigarette break or whatever. Losers. Anyway, the pension house was lovely, a white painted, two storey affair with a balcony out front which later became the haunt of the smokers once the after rafting drinking got started. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/285394_10150238806085143_508495142_7881912_2516674_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our pension house near the river. It looks overcast but don't be fooled, it wasn't cold. It was a hot, humid Korean summer day and overcast and hazy is the default summer sky setting here!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After eating some snacks and setting our bags down, we all got changed into some rafting appropriate clothes i.e. stuff that would dry fast and then headed outside. We were driven by minivan (not so terrifyingly fast this time) to the place where they keep the rafting equipment and we all got kitted out in helmets and life jackets and we each got given a metal paddle. Then it was back on the bus for the short hop down to the river. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215091_10150238803270143_508495142_7881846_4416553_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Us looking awesome in our rafting gear!</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/251740_10150238803405143_508495142_7881849_7239122_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the bus going to the river. Those metal paddles were lethal in that confined space! It was like the first test of our rafting skills.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/223775_10150238803355143_508495142_7881847_3156690_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little did they know that this trip would change all their lives in ways they'd never imagined possible....this season's blockbuster, "Without a Paddle" going straight to DVD at a Blockbusters near you.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We arrived at the river and were greeted by our cheerful Korean guide who happily explained that we should be careful as the river was more dangerous than usual as it was swollen by the recent heavy rains. Of course we weren't fazed by this at all cos we're all so hardcore. Well, maybe one or two people got a bit nervous but no pain no gain. Our group wasn't the only one rafting that day. There were a few others, all Korean I think, and we all started at the same point on the river.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/270067_10150238803460143_508495142_7881851_2882039_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inflatable rafts on the more "dangerous" than usual Hantan River. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all climbed aboard our blue inflatable raft and were given a very </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">brief</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> safety talk that mainly consisted of "try not to fall out of the raft", "keep you feet in the loops on the floor of the raft so you don't fall out" and "keep paddling" when told to so we don't capsize and then off we went. It was a bit strange at first getting used to the balance of the raft and how to paddle properly but the instructor guy seemed to know what he was doing and soon got us working like a machine! He assigned number 1 to one side and 2 to the other and called out the appropriate number when he wanted that side to paddle. Hey, we got so good at it, he even called the numbers out in Korean to us sometimes and we still got it right - good job! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/267301_10150238803520143_508495142_7881852_592009_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heading out on the rather crowded river.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283294_10150238803630143_508495142_7881855_779822_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got soaked and had a great time! Note our grinning Korean guide giving it the peace (or "Kimchi") sign at the back.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The white water wasn't really that scary, despite the guide's warning but it was still really fun and pretty exhilarating when we crashed through the larger swells. The guide would shout at us toi keep paddling as we got closer and everyone braced themselves as a wall of white spray flew up into our faces. There was a moment when you couldn't see what was going on, you just kept clinging to the boat with your foot in the loop and paddling for dear life - it was great! Everybody managed to stay on board throughout the trip and we actually travelled through some really pretty countryside too. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283863_10150238804440143_508495142_7881871_2919106_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283863_10150238804440143_508495142_7881871_2919106_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The river ran through a thickly wooded valley.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283343_10150238803915143_508495142_7881861_4919271_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were strange rock formations in the cliffs at the side of the river.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217556_10150238805160143_508495142_7881885_7624464_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rock cliffs were very steep at some points along the journey and I'm sure I remember the guide saying that there were bats living in them.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div><img height="240" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/217459_10150238804620143_508495142_7881875_5291900_n.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took a brief break half way through the course which made for a nice photo opp. All the watery photos on here are care of Leif's waterproof camera - cheers Leif!</span><br />
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</div><div><img height="240" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188344_10150238804980143_508495142_7881882_5291378_n.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The raft guides encouraged their motley crews to attack the other vessels by splashing them lots - that's what the paddles were really for!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not sure how long the actual rafting went on for, maybe just under 2 hours. Once we'd completed the course, we had to haul the raft out and onto the shore. We handed our gear over, got a shower and then it was the bus back to the pension for an all you can eat meat and veggies dinner accompanied buy some free booze - winning!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/285025_10150233644871966_515431965_7379641_1906101_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They gave us some free beer and soju to wash the food down with. How thoughtful of the pension owner!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228877_10150238805375143_508495142_7881892_8133946_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was Leif's third year of living in Korea. Here he displays his mastery of the complicated chopstick paper cup soju drinking manoeuvre.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/269413_10150233645286966_515431965_7379647_625035_n.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As darkness descended, Rowan and I began to lose control of our photographic outlines.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It got dark as we were eating and with darkness comes mozzies and other biting things so we headed indoors to enjoy our pension rooms and drinking supplies. Rowan managed to befriend a group of Korean lads staying in one of the other rooms and they ended up hanging </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">out with us for the evening. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/282526_10150238805435143_508495142_7881893_7842410_n.jpg" width="320" /></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Partying in the pension room. It was a Korean style room which meant no beds, just blankets on the floor.</span><br />
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</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/270181_10150238805665143_508495142_7881900_4842001_n.jpg" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our new Korean friends.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/281842_10150238805730143_508495142_7881901_1926833_n.jpg" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Possibly acting out some part of a musical or K-Pop song perhaps!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/197805_10150238805810143_508495142_7881902_5848170_n.jpg" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cultural exchange is always easier with a little liquid lubrication!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, it was a fun night but a rather painful morning for some! We all got a lift back to to the main bus stop in one of the pension minibuses and then it was an intercity bus back to Seoul. A good weekend and a fun way to celebrate Canada Day!</span></div></div></div></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-1853444649111721562011-09-09T23:07:00.003+09:002012-02-16T16:33:35.579+09:00Leaving on a Bongo Truck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Following the end of Sophie's job in Gwangju-si, we had to leave behind our lovely apartment and move to our new place in Hanam. Despite having come to Korea with only two suitcases full of stuff we managed to collect a whole lot of stuff. Two of my co-teachers, the head of the English department and the boss of my office came along to help us move in their cars. After looking at our massive piles of stuff they quickly decided that there wasn't enough room in their cars so called for a man with a small "Bongo" truck to come and help move our stuff. It was quite an ordeal getting everything into the lift and loaded on to the truck, what with our new neighbors' pesky son trying to steal the stuff he took a shine to whenever we weren't looking and other neighbors just standing around having a stare at the foreigners and blocking the hallway in the process. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/113746877/KIA_BONGO_1T_2005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/113746877/KIA_BONGO_1T_2005.jpg" width="320" /></a></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the uninitiated, this is the ubiquitous Kia Bongo truck, a small 1 ton truck that you see everywhere in South Korea, often piled high with garlic or melons or some other fresh produce and driven round by an ajjoshi (Korean older man) with a recorded sales message blaring out of the onboard PA system.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">We eventually got everything loaded and were ready to roll. Unfortunately, when we gave my teachers the address for our new apartment we discovered that there was a problem. The guy at Sophie's new school had only given us part of the address so we wouldn't be able to find it. Not a good start to the journey! We tried to contact the guy a few times but without much success. So there was nothing we could do but just head into Hanam and try to work it out as we went along. We jumped in the car with my teachers and the Bongo truck guy trundled off ahead of us. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">We arrived in Hanam fairly quickly as it's only 12 miles from Gwangju-si. We then spent another hour or two just circling around trying to work out where the hell we were supposed to be going. My teachers were continually trying to call this guy at Sophie's school to find out where our new place was. In the end, when my teachers did get a hold of him he said he didn't know exactly where the apartment was because he'd never been there and he was busy and at home now so he couldn't find the address for us! It later turned out that this was the first in a long line of lies that we'd be told by this bloke but anyway we didn't know that then. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't really understand how we found the apartment in the end but we did. There was a lot of talking in Korean between my teachers and the guy form Sophie's school and the Bongo truck driver and somehow we got there but it had been a needlessly long and exhausting trip and I felt so bad about my teachers spending so much of their Friday evening helping us. They did it out of kindness not because they had to and it was lucky for us that they did help or we would never have found the place! The lovely woman who is the boss of my office then paid some local high school boys she saw on the street to help us carry all our stuff up to our 3rd floor apartment which was great! She then took us all for dinner at a nice restaurant on the edge of Seoul and insisted on paying and took us back to her beautiful apartment to show us her place. Luxurious would be the best word to describe her place! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;">We headed back to our place in Gwangju that night and stayed there for the rest of the weekend so we could hang out with our Canadian neighbors for a last time and enjoy being in a nice big apartment while we still could! We made a few return trips to Hanam by bus to take a few things that hadn't fitted onto the Bongo truck (I really don't know how we have accumulated so much crap!) and then properly moved in the day after Sophie finished at her school, midweek I think. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's when the real fun started... (pictures below may upset people squeamish about bugs!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.getridofcockroaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/cockroaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.getridofcockroaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/cockroaches.jpg" width="313" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oRjtRFG8rPA/TvcqNGrRDKI/AAAAAAAACgQ/pVkkf9ebpP8/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oRjtRFG8rPA/TvcqNGrRDKI/AAAAAAAACgQ/pVkkf9ebpP8/s320/IMG_2422.JPG" width="320" /></a></span> </div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yes those nasty pictures are exactly what they look like- 바퀴벌레 or as they are known in English, cockroaches! On our first weekend in our new apartment we caught as least twenty cockroaches around the apartment, it seems we had something of an infestation going on in our "lovely" new apartment.<br />
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Before moving we had done our best to find out as much as possible about the new apartment and new job, just as we had done before coming to our first apartment in Korea. Unfortunately the previous occupants of our new apartment weren't quite as forthcoming with information as the people who used to live in our old place. Before moving to Korea we had exchanged a series of emails with the current teachers there and they sent us lots of pictures and information. I sent an email to the current occupants of our new apartment before we moved but after exchanging one email I received this reply "This is the last email I will send you about my accommodation en details about my school. In the future, please contact my Korean co-teacher." Helpful!<br />
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So we arrived knowing very little about the apartment, far less than we knew before coming to Gwangju. There were quite a few unpleasant surprises waiting for us when we arrived. They included, the apartment having only a single bed, despite us being told that it was suitable for a couple, the boiler leaking, the previously mentioned cockroaches, the lights in the hallways of the building not working, and the overall dinginess of the place</span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps">.<br />
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The fun continued when Sophie arrived at her new school for the first day and the first time seeing her classroom, textbook, students etc to discover she was due to start teaching within about five minutes of arriving at school! So the first few lessons were a bit farcical as she didn't know how to work the technology and got very little support or assistance from her co-teachers. The rest of the day was so busy she didn't even manage to find the western style toilet until 4pm. The co-teachers also </span></span><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps">seem to all hate each other,</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> and spend a fair amount of their time bitching about each other- apparently heated arguments across the staffroom are not uncommon. When she finally got to speak to someone about the various issues we had with the apartment she was told that she "had no choice." and was told to "just stop talking!" extremely frank words from Koreans who tend to make an art of of beating around the bush so much it's often hard to even know what they are talking about!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So all in all it wasn't exactly the best possible welcome to Hanam! But things aren't all bad. We are very close to a branch of Homeplus now which is owned by Tesco so carries a few more British products than the average Korean store. English mature cheddar, bottles of London pride and even cheesecake are now all within easy reach, albeit at extortionate prices. We are also very close that Han river which makes for a nice cycling trip, so we bought a pair of second hand bikes soon after arriving. We are also about 15 km closer to Seoul here so it makes it easier to have a night out in the center and get back without being bankrupted by taxi fares. There are even some good points about our building, most of our neighbours are also English teachers. This is the building where Hanam city council houses all the foreign teachers (and the city rowing team) and we have access to shared space on the flat roof, so we've had a few BBQs and parties up there.<br />
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We don't have many pictures of the apartment, but it's not much to look at, so I'll sign off with some far more picturesque photos taken during a bike ride alongside the Han, 15 minutes ride from out apartment.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M5dZPl9T16c/TsEX8m-KWWI/AAAAAAAACeE/IBOPxAqryn0/s1600/IMG_2328.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M5dZPl9T16c/TsEX8m-KWWI/AAAAAAAACeE/IBOPxAqryn0/s320/IMG_2328.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGbqeJI_cUE/TsEYR2mIfUI/AAAAAAAACec/3EgS-Gz-2vE/s1600/IMG_2348.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGbqeJI_cUE/TsEYR2mIfUI/AAAAAAAACec/3EgS-Gz-2vE/s320/IMG_2348.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps">Me with my comedy mini bike, I thought a folding bike would be a good idea, but it was actually a piece of crap and I changed it for a proper mountain bike soon after.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TOBJ4XeJh1E/TsEYZLVAtdI/AAAAAAAACes/zo1Kz-cRaVo/s1600/IMG_2353.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TOBJ4XeJh1E/TsEYZLVAtdI/AAAAAAAACes/zo1Kz-cRaVo/s320/IMG_2353.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps">Pretty yellow flowers!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EBS-YK1USrs/TsEYtK00u5I/AAAAAAAACfE/cIugj8Ju0X4/s1600/IMG_2369.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EBS-YK1USrs/TsEYtK00u5I/AAAAAAAACfE/cIugj8Ju0X4/s320/IMG_2369.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps">The route by the side of the Han is really popular with cyclists and there are some pretty nice cafes to stop at too.</span></span></div><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="ko" style="font-size: small;"><span class="hps"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K1xJmiKZl0M/TsEYg8spbKI/AAAAAAAACe0/rBkgHE-OwWI/s1600/IMG_2367.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K1xJmiKZl0M/TsEYg8spbKI/AAAAAAAACe0/rBkgHE-OwWI/s320/IMG_2367.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Couple out for a romantic walk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGbqeJI_cUE/TsEYR2mIfUI/AAAAAAAACec/3EgS-Gz-2vE/s1600/IMG_2348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-964grl-m3oE/TsEYnXIkSmI/AAAAAAAACe8/YvxzE5BzOi4/s1600/IMG_2368.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-964grl-m3oE/TsEYnXIkSmI/AAAAAAAACe8/YvxzE5BzOi4/s320/IMG_2368.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGbqeJI_cUE/TsEYR2mIfUI/AAAAAAAACec/3EgS-Gz-2vE/s1600/IMG_2348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stone statue looking very similar to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dol_hareubang" target="_blank">Hareubang</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> statues common on Jeju</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGbqeJI_cUE/TsEYR2mIfUI/AAAAAAAACec/3EgS-Gz-2vE/s1600/IMG_2348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGbqeJI_cUE/TsEYR2mIfUI/AAAAAAAACec/3EgS-Gz-2vE/s1600/IMG_2348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cN46iZmgcrM/TsEZBuzrq4I/AAAAAAAACfc/FRMgBuD5sms/s1600/IMG_2379.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cN46iZmgcrM/TsEZBuzrq4I/AAAAAAAACfc/FRMgBuD5sms/s320/IMG_2379.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The Han river, not very picturesque in the center of Seoul but beautiful a few miles upstream.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div></div>Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244316682200849733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-17489535180588910222011-08-09T20:39:00.016+09:002012-02-16T16:34:39.752+09:00Last days in Gwangju-si<div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So May was rushing by and the day that we would have to leave our lovely apartment in Gwangju -si drew ever closer. Yes, the day we would have to move all our crap out of our massive 3 bedroom apartment in Gwangju-si and take it to our new, much smaller place in Hanam was nearly upon us. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We weren't leaving voluntarily but because funding cuts had meant that my job no longer existed so I'd got a new position at a middle school in Hanam, a larger city a few miles away, closer to Seoul.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QB1r-YAJzHo/TrqrzMcruuI/AAAAAAAAAls/P55gjW8D9mc/s1600/IMG_2134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QB1r-YAJzHo/TrqrzMcruuI/AAAAAAAAAls/P55gjW8D9mc/s320/IMG_2134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sun sets on Gwangju-si (sorry bad pun)! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As seen from the back window of our apartment.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Bg6Y7eGD1o/TrqrtZ-pyQI/AAAAAAAAAlk/ZWcq5QwBKoM/s1600/IMG_2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Bg6Y7eGD1o/TrqrtZ-pyQI/AAAAAAAAAlk/ZWcq5QwBKoM/s320/IMG_2122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doojin apartments, our home in Gwangju-si. A fairly non-descript looking apartment complex just like the thousands of others you can see in South Korea but it was pretty new and the rooms were spacious. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EpacWex2HE/TmTd8tvQ_QI/AAAAAAAACVA/vw6Zgra6uNw/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EpacWex2HE/TmTd8tvQ_QI/AAAAAAAACVA/vw6Zgra6uNw/s320/IMG_1459.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, as Gwangju-si is still mostly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">undeveloped</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, we had great views of the town </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unobstructed</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> by other apartment blocks which is unusual for Korea these days. You can see the stadium on the left and mountains rising up behind.</span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now Gwangju-si is just a small town (or as our mate Dean called it when he visited - a "one -horse town") and there's not much to do other than wander round E-Mart. AND it's at least an hour away from Seoul by bus. But we still liked it there! I remember how excited we were on our first few days in Gwangju-si as everything was so different compared to back home in England and though that excitement faded as we settled down into the mundane routine of everyday life we still liked wandering around our new adopted home.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/28295_433744794358_702474358_5599707_2019525_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/28295_433744794358_702474358_5599707_2019525_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gwangju's E-Mart, a massive supermarket where we wasted far too many hours on Sundays fighting it out with the shopping hordes. It only opened a few months before we arrived. Before that there was nothing but convenience stores and small local marts - no cheese!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gwangju-si has character and more foreign workers form SE Asia than most similar cities (there to work in the fields and small factories) which meant we had access to such rare things as an authentic Indian restaurant or two and a foreign food market that sold all manner of hard-to-find-in-Korea foods and spices at cheap prices. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gwangju-si is also surrounded by some pretty countryside as it's a very rural area. In the warmer months, I used to walk back home from my school through the rice fields and it was a really pleasant stroll even if those pesky cattle egrets in the fields wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get a decent photo of them! Also, of course, we were sad to be moving away from our friends, though not as sad as were were about losing that beautiful oven (only joking guys)!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOxWI-mrhJs/TmTd_1mvbHI/AAAAAAAACVE/VSDjcl0mDic/s1600/IMG_3518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOxWI-mrhJs/TmTd_1mvbHI/AAAAAAAACVE/VSDjcl0mDic/s320/IMG_3518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our downstairs neighbours in Gwangju-si - the lovely Jen and Leif!</span><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leaving Gwangju meant that we had to leave our Hapkido academy too which was a shame (hapkido is a Korean martial art - <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/search/label/Hapkido">click here</a> for a more detailed post about our experiences trying to learn it). The Master was very sad to see us go. He's such a nice guy, always happy to see us, giving us little gifts and trying to chat with us despite our terrible Korean and his phone dictionary English! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time we left we had got our blue belts but sadly we just weren't destined to become black belt hapkido masters, not at Sinwol Academy anyways! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw the Master again recently and he told us "Rowan, Sop-ee, Toni - many bo-go-ship-o-yo (many miss you)!" - so cute! </span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OOD0kVnGog0/TsueSfDm4iI/AAAAAAAACfs/s4fXq9_ieKM/s1600/IMG_0363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OOD0kVnGog0/TsueSfDm4iI/AAAAAAAACfs/s4fXq9_ieKM/s320/IMG_0363.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our hapkido school in Gwangju, Sinwol Academy.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HU46yKdE5fM/TsuecTN5N8I/AAAAAAAACgE/zARpXHBNMsM/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HU46yKdE5fM/TsuecTN5N8I/AAAAAAAACgE/zARpXHBNMsM/s320/IMG_0454.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't have a picture of us with our shiny new blue belts but this girl from our academy is modeling one for you instead.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6d_qNWofau8/TsEJVe8YWSI/AAAAAAAACc0/SUE_MW_vqeE/s1600/IMG_3506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6d_qNWofau8/TsEJVe8YWSI/AAAAAAAACc0/SUE_MW_vqeE/s320/IMG_3506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Earlier in the year, when there was still snow on the ground, the Master took us hapkido foreigners (Rowan, Toni and I) out for dinner at a nice little bibimbap place in the countryside. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Following Korean tradition, he paid for the whole lot and afterwards we sat drinking coffee outside by a small b</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">onfire pit.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkBlnjByLm4/TsEJcSY6h_I/AAAAAAAACdM/ZEP7OgHLPZs/s1600/IMG_3510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkBlnjByLm4/TsEJcSY6h_I/AAAAAAAACdM/ZEP7OgHLPZs/s320/IMG_3510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Master drinking his coffee by the fire. We never found out his actual name but "The Master" is pretty evocative on its own!</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a more positive note, leaving Gwangju-si meant we HAD to have a leaving party. We decided to give it a fancy dress theme despite Rowan's usual hatred of dressing up. The theme was ajummas and ajjoshis. As previously mentioned on this blog, 'ajumma' is the Korean term of address for an older, married woman or any woman of marrying age. The stereotypical idea of an 'ajumma' is a short, stout, tough old woman with a tight, wiry perm who wears crazy-bright clothes in clashing colors and patterns and who possesses a strong determination to be at the front of every queue. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ajjoshi is her male equivalent i.e. an older man, usually married. The ajjoshi stereotype is a little different because it's a guy. The stereotypical image of an ajjoshi is an older guy who enjoys makgeolli, spitting in the street (very loudly), staring at foreigners and like the 'ajjuma' having no respect for personal space and fighting to get that last seat on the bus or subway. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course these stereotypes exist for a reason but not all older Korean folk are like that and it's not all negative anyway! The older people in Korea can be incredibly kind and generous to foreigners and they really seem to know how to have a good time - we often see them out in large groups dancing to "trot" music (a kind of granny techno!) or going off to do some hiking kitted out in the latest gear and carrying plenty of makgeolli to celebrate reaching the top. I hope I'm that active and having that much fun when I get to their age. I'd rather be an 'ajjuma' here than a 'little old lady' back in England, locked up in my house, waiting for meals on wheels with no social life to speak of! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The aim of our dress up party was to celebrate the best of 'ajjuma and ajjoshi' fashion and to say good bye to our friends in Gwangju-si. We held it round our apartment and in the afternoon some of us hit up the local second hand clothes shops near the market to get our costumes. The women in the shops obviously thought we were insane but had a good laugh at the crazy foreigners trying on the shiny jackets, huge visors, leopard print blouses and stretchy pink sports pants!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BYzXqIHafU/TrqNLnmm7fI/AAAAAAAAAdU/P12Yix1AlYo/s1600/IMG_5207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BYzXqIHafU/TrqNLnmm7fI/AAAAAAAAAdU/P12Yix1AlYo/s320/IMG_5207.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our costumes. Lots of visors, shiny stuff and clashing patterns. The folks at the back are wearing face masks. It's very common here to see women of all ages wearing these masks in the summer. They are shaped to cover your nose and lower face and have a slit i them for your mouyuth so you can breathe. You wear them to keep the sun off so you can keep that attractive ghostly white face so fashionable here.<i> </i>You can see David's home made makgeolli (Korean rice wine) in the big clear tub in the foreground - it was...special!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9z9SkV2sNZs/TrqM_5FRHvI/AAAAAAAAAc8/AqxK7I415JQ/s1600/IMG_5197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9z9SkV2sNZs/TrqM_5FRHvI/AAAAAAAAAc8/AqxK7I415JQ/s320/IMG_5197.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jen looking fab and rather convincing as an ajjuma!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fh9xSkuT8bc/TrqNEID5XhI/AAAAAAAAAdE/Aa4xPoUNVi8/s1600/IMG_5202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fh9xSkuT8bc/TrqNEID5XhI/AAAAAAAAAdE/Aa4xPoUNVi8/s320/IMG_5202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan baked a pavlova for the party - it was delish!</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Er9YI1io954/TrqNOT-8AsI/AAAAAAAAAdc/RDLtOaUbMZk/s1600/IMG_5220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Er9YI1io954/TrqNOT-8AsI/AAAAAAAAAdc/RDLtOaUbMZk/s320/IMG_5220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jen and I in our splendid costumes next to a rather rude statement! Now how did that get there...</span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our last weekend in Gwangju, we went for a final wander around armed with the camera. We started off walking along by the river and i finally got a chance to get some decent pictures of those pesky egrets that I'd been trying to snap on my way home from work all year! </span><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-28TCCiQyslk/TrqcuyxCeZI/AAAAAAAAAek/MCtp5M1_MmM/s1600/IMG_1506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-28TCCiQyslk/TrqcuyxCeZI/AAAAAAAAAek/MCtp5M1_MmM/s320/IMG_1506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A heron in the river in Gwangju-si.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1gqdtSfKA8M/Trqc-sI1X7I/AAAAAAAAAe0/2aWDKV65a6E/s1600/IMG_1510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1gqdtSfKA8M/Trqc-sI1X7I/AAAAAAAAAe0/2aWDKV65a6E/s320/IMG_1510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ha! Got you at last, egret. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ruKHmBpBrD4/TrqdHLUlugI/AAAAAAAAAe8/K-Y3fZCytiU/s1600/IMG_1516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ruKHmBpBrD4/TrqdHLUlugI/AAAAAAAAAe8/K-Y3fZCytiU/s320/IMG_1516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can see loads of these birds in the rice paddies. They have a very distinctive shape when in flight. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C9Oqb5piGRg/TrqdO2K2GlI/AAAAAAAAAfE/AGXmZxwgEts/s1600/IMG_1525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C9Oqb5piGRg/TrqdO2K2GlI/AAAAAAAAAfE/AGXmZxwgEts/s320/IMG_1525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some charming graffiti under a bridge in Gwangju-si. It's very rare to see graffiti in Korea. The 5 squares on the right are supposed to represent someone giving you the finger!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By coincidence, we found that there was a community festival going on in the large park behind E-Mart with stalls, a few kiddie rides and a stage with musical performances going on all night. It was a beautiful sunny day and a fun way to spend our last Saturday in Gwangju.</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dVkW3Xh9cc8/Trqe8NsdjbI/AAAAAAAAAg0/T85JONGPGEk/s1600/IMG_1683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dVkW3Xh9cc8/Trqe8NsdjbI/AAAAAAAAAg0/T85JONGPGEk/s320/IMG_1683.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The park behind E-Mart has a river running through it and is surrounded by mountains. The festival was on the left bank.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mmzDjBhrnWI/TrqdnbJKtqI/AAAAAAAAAfc/TM2SHE6jCDE/s1600/IMG_1540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mmzDjBhrnWI/TrqdnbJKtqI/AAAAAAAAAfc/TM2SHE6jCDE/s320/IMG_1540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You could make a pot at this stall.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydl_0gq8Z2E/TrqmIBl_tYI/AAAAAAAAAiE/rrDZYm9VKds/s1600/IMG_1746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydl_0gq8Z2E/TrqmIBl_tYI/AAAAAAAAAiE/rrDZYm9VKds/s320/IMG_1746.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or shoot for prizes at this stall (like Jen and Leif here - would you trust these 2 with your kids?!).</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jaygVkcae74/TrqlPx8GHYI/AAAAAAAAAhE/X5TrGGl8zqw/s1600/IMG_1697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jaygVkcae74/TrqlPx8GHYI/AAAAAAAAAhE/X5TrGGl8zqw/s320/IMG_1697.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or some delicious but horrendously overpriced pork from this stall.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSRbxB76gnQ/Trqd1-yhkLI/AAAAAAAAAfs/lhEL_v0CLqk/s1600/IMG_1577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSRbxB76gnQ/Trqd1-yhkLI/AAAAAAAAAfs/lhEL_v0CLqk/s320/IMG_1577.JPG" width="213" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or even eat dolphin meat at this place! Tuna friendly dolphin anyone?</span><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pdCfrov872g/TrqlIZzI_0I/AAAAAAAAAg8/wdIeb3v6eLE/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pdCfrov872g/TrqlIZzI_0I/AAAAAAAAAg8/wdIeb3v6eLE/s320/IMG_1693.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course no Korean festival is complete without a guy dressed up as a woman with lots of make up singing old style songs with a beat!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5uPmfC8S9XM/Trql9ZFgMwI/AAAAAAAAAh0/5Y8-DFyWeJI/s1600/IMG_1738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5uPmfC8S9XM/Trql9ZFgMwI/AAAAAAAAAh0/5Y8-DFyWeJI/s320/IMG_1738.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a performance stage at the festival. These guys are dressed up for their rendition of some traditional Korean music</span>.</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MLT8bKSVFNg/TrqmVTZa6OI/AAAAAAAAAiU/WExZXNi6uLg/s1600/IMG_1755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MLT8bKSVFNg/TrqmVTZa6OI/AAAAAAAAAiU/WExZXNi6uLg/s320/IMG_1755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More folks dressed up in their traditional costumes.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mcD2LQnEr2Q/TrqmatMM8PI/AAAAAAAAAic/-ANz_LSDVuE/s1600/IMG_1760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mcD2LQnEr2Q/TrqmatMM8PI/AAAAAAAAAic/-ANz_LSDVuE/s320/IMG_1760.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cell phone plus hanbok ftw!</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnkC1enZtoU/TrqmpF71hII/AAAAAAAAAis/jfNnZDbnXlU/s1600/IMG_1795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnkC1enZtoU/TrqmpF71hII/AAAAAAAAAis/jfNnZDbnXlU/s320/IMG_1795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two cute kids from the group of local school children who sang at the festival.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R5iwXBXl-d0/Trqmv3KaE-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/2NC9utdgtKc/s1600/IMG_1801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R5iwXBXl-d0/Trqmv3KaE-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/2NC9utdgtKc/s320/IMG_1801.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you seen these foreigners? If you see them do not approach. They are armed with beer and highly dangerous! (Me, Rowan, Jen and Leif)</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R8p6Uv-igUM/TrqncgVuLhI/AAAAAAAAAjs/BPsf8U1tSt0/s1600/IMG_1874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R8p6Uv-igUM/TrqncgVuLhI/AAAAAAAAAjs/BPsf8U1tSt0/s320/IMG_1874.JPG" width="213" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ended up playing at being a press pack photographer for a bit at the festival.I was standing at the edge of the stage trying to get some better pictures and one of the stewards took my arm and pulled me under the barrier to join the proper photographers right at the edge of the stage! It was cool but I suffered some serious 'lens envy' compared to their massive long things!</span><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QV2okfFlv20/Trqm2FZjAbI/AAAAAAAAAi8/wy5PupMQc0Y/s1600/IMG_1811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QV2okfFlv20/Trqm2FZjAbI/AAAAAAAAAi8/wy5PupMQc0Y/s320/IMG_1811.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A pair of scantily clad young ladies to keep the menfolk happy!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kggGUgKmITo/Trqm71XWKuI/AAAAAAAAAjE/wm480fhjpvc/s1600/IMG_1832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kggGUgKmITo/Trqm71XWKuI/AAAAAAAAAjE/wm480fhjpvc/s320/IMG_1832.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These two girls did a kind of break dancing routine to some K-pop music that was pretty cool.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uDdTZhDFPtk/TrqnDkyo6tI/AAAAAAAAAjM/tgRdblTuSSM/s1600/IMG_1839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uDdTZhDFPtk/TrqnDkyo6tI/AAAAAAAAAjM/tgRdblTuSSM/s320/IMG_1839.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This guy was really getting his funk on in front of the whole crowd! Check out the backwards cap! It was more fun watching him than what was on the stage!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5CMd4mR6NxA/TrqnKvrSY3I/AAAAAAAAAjU/1UAoraiOupw/s1600/IMG_1840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5CMd4mR6NxA/TrqnKvrSY3I/AAAAAAAAAjU/1UAoraiOupw/s320/IMG_1840.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cool shades too!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufNmbDGp-iM/TrqnQvQ3RWI/AAAAAAAAAjc/5yZOcwTkmhI/s1600/IMG_1841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufNmbDGp-iM/TrqnQvQ3RWI/AAAAAAAAAjc/5yZOcwTkmhI/s320/IMG_1841.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do that funky chicken!</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BL6C89kx8wE/TrqnWQ80ukI/AAAAAAAAAjk/Dzv1NNk3zng/s1600/IMG_1864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BL6C89kx8wE/TrqnWQ80ukI/AAAAAAAAAjk/Dzv1NNk3zng/s320/IMG_1864.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some more traditional music and fan dancing from the hanbok ladies.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Rp89_YT8IE/TrqnjkWDU1I/AAAAAAAAAj0/Lc4JFnc4EjU/s1600/IMG_1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Rp89_YT8IE/TrqnjkWDU1I/AAAAAAAAAj0/Lc4JFnc4EjU/s320/IMG_1876.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty lit up arch walk at the festival.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div></div></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, one of the saddest things about moving to Hanam was saying goodbye to my school. Rowan was able to stay on at his school in Gwangju-si and he still works there now, commuting in with his friend, the geography teacher, but for me it was the end of the road (sorry bad driving pun)! It hadn't always been easy working there and it had been a steep learning curve for me as I'd never taught English before but I had made friends among the teachers there and there were some really lovely students in my classes that I knew I would miss (and some bloody horrid ones that I'd be glad to see the last of but never mind!). I took my camera to school on one one of my last days and snapped my afterschool class kids and took a last set of photos of my walk home through the fields. (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been taking pictures of my walk home from school for months and meant to do a proper post about it - watch this space for some retrograde posting!)</span></div></div><div><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YW0MSsd4h6Y/TrqqqP6ebRI/AAAAAAAAAkM/QOlJ7f3L9l0/s1600/IMG_1948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YW0MSsd4h6Y/TrqqqP6ebRI/AAAAAAAAAkM/QOlJ7f3L9l0/s320/IMG_1948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My school in Gwangju, Kyongan Middle.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vLFCmJna2Jk/TrqOR2REd0I/AAAAAAAAAd0/-mb20A-SwrU/s1600/IMG_5238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vLFCmJna2Jk/TrqOR2REd0I/AAAAAAAAAd0/-mb20A-SwrU/s320/IMG_5238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last session of my afterschool class. We played some party games including pass the parcel with English questions as the educational twist.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iWs8Z7K0VcA/TrqOcEODA4I/AAAAAAAAAeM/QvrAYI0GNQk/s1600/IMG_5261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iWs8Z7K0VcA/TrqOcEODA4I/AAAAAAAAAeM/QvrAYI0GNQk/s320/IMG_5261.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two of my favourite students with the giant chocolate bar that was the prize from pass the parcel. Their English names were Benjamin and Jordan. Jordan (the boy in front) was the only student that came to all of my extracurricular activities, including my English camps. It was sweet he wanted to come to everything but sometimes I wished he didn't as I had to make new material every time so he didn't have to repeat stuff!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ntx1_sKpnjk/TsEKTJ3B9pI/AAAAAAAACdc/DGWIA3v_HYY/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ntx1_sKpnjk/TsEKTJ3B9pI/AAAAAAAACdc/DGWIA3v_HYY/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my classes were sad to hear I was leaving and wrote me a load of goodbye messages on the whiteboard i the English classroom. By the way, Koreans write 'TT' to indicate two eyes crying. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rDRdPeUcHiE/TrqOPNVIOeI/AAAAAAAAAds/smSNJdmOuUk/s1600/IMG_1467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rDRdPeUcHiE/TrqOPNVIOeI/AAAAAAAAAds/smSNJdmOuUk/s320/IMG_1467.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dark empty corridor outside of my classroom as I left for one of the last times TT.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1HGKcLEdo5o/TmTedrUlnzI/AAAAAAAACVM/D--xlrKVPmA/s1600/IMG_3957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1HGKcLEdo5o/TmTedrUlnzI/AAAAAAAACVM/D--xlrKVPmA/s320/IMG_3957.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before (beginning of school year in March): I battled for months to keep the classroom neat and tidy and keep these seat numbers on the table. It was a bitter and hard fought war.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9opfs8n7EJE/TrqOkPqfVWI/AAAAAAAAAec/DQeNPfdzOsY/s1600/IMG_5264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9opfs8n7EJE/TrqOkPqfVWI/AAAAAAAAAec/DQeNPfdzOsY/s320/IMG_5264.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After (last week of teaching): I think it was a ultimately a losing battle!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yFveau-rd0I/TrqqxBI9wvI/AAAAAAAAAkU/z8r3XT8V24s/s1600/IMG_1958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yFveau-rd0I/TrqqxBI9wvI/AAAAAAAAAkU/z8r3XT8V24s/s320/IMG_1958.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the road outside my middle school in Gwangju. Look closely and you can see an unfinished bridge in the background. They had been building that on and off for the whole year I worked there. I'd hoped to see them complete it before I left - another broken dream!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following few pictures are a small selection of the ones I took on my last walk back home from my school through the rice fields. i always found these walks relaxing and a good way to wind down after a stressful day doing battle with the more intractable classes that I had to teach.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Snnt_SoYRjQ/TrqrDaCvfTI/AAAAAAAAAks/3MoIkGSggbI/s1600/IMG_1966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Snnt_SoYRjQ/TrqrDaCvfTI/AAAAAAAAAks/3MoIkGSggbI/s320/IMG_1966.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbpImjz_Olg/Trqq9pVfbzI/AAAAAAAAAkk/5WQZ9-u_F3I/s1600/IMG_1965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbpImjz_Olg/Trqq9pVfbzI/AAAAAAAAAkk/5WQZ9-u_F3I/s320/IMG_1965.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs2iq_KAU7M/TrqrQGOxKII/AAAAAAAAAk8/lL-nADsWtyc/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs2iq_KAU7M/TrqrQGOxKII/AAAAAAAAAk8/lL-nADsWtyc/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VPQvuZsNCoY/TrqrVXD9brI/AAAAAAAAAlE/pWWiOspqNV4/s1600/IMG_2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VPQvuZsNCoY/TrqrVXD9brI/AAAAAAAAAlE/pWWiOspqNV4/s320/IMG_2018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dTP7bFBDKE/Trqrg0PB8vI/AAAAAAAAAlU/OZB8g5MKdts/s1600/IMG_2065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dTP7bFBDKE/Trqrg0PB8vI/AAAAAAAAAlU/OZB8g5MKdts/s320/IMG_2065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu_VcAQbgGI/TrqrnkagnJI/AAAAAAAAAlc/IUn0QwXwpaI/s1600/IMG_2083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu_VcAQbgGI/TrqrnkagnJI/AAAAAAAAAlc/IUn0QwXwpaI/s320/IMG_2083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A funny little quad bike and trailer combo I spotted on my way home. I saw all kinds of bizarre vehicles driving along the little roads that cut through Gwangju's fields. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So overall, we were pretty sad to be leaving Gwangju-si as despite sometimes finding it a bit boring and wishing it was closer to Seoul it had been a good home to us for a year. Still nothing lasts forever and we were lucky to still have jobs despite all the funding problems even if they were in different cities. Next stop - Hanam! </span></div></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-29746832605239346242011-07-30T22:17:00.003+09:002012-02-16T16:35:27.808+09:00Buddha's Birthday: Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know that Buddha's birthday is celebrated on the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese Lunar calendar every year in East Asian countries? No, I didn't either until I got a bonus day off work for a Korean National Holiday in honour of it - nice-uh! Buddha's birthday was on May 10 this year which was a Monday g</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">iving us a sweet 3 day weekend. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">This day is celebrated across East Asia in various different ways. In Korea, temples are decorated with lots of lanterns and according to Wikipedia "o</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">n the day of Buddha's birth, many temples provide free meals and tea to all visitors". The Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul is the key Korean celebration held in the lead up to Buddha's Birthday. This year it ran over the weekend of May 6 - May 8 and included a huge lantern parade, the chance to make your own lantern and various traditional performances and ceremonies that you can watch or have a go at yourself. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yPrUMFxBgYA/TosSevXaGSI/AAAAAAAAAcY/6SIV-bl91S4/s1600/IMG_5108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yPrUMFxBgYA/TosSevXaGSI/AAAAAAAAAcY/6SIV-bl91S4/s320/IMG_5108.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper lanterns decorating Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">The festival is held in the Jongno area of Seoul near Insadong, the city's cultural centre. We trooped over there via a long bus and subway journey with a bunch of our friends from Gwangju-si. We went </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">on a warm Saturday afternoon and first checked out the cool antiques and bric-a-brac on the tourist friendly, pedestrianised streets of Insadong. As usual there were lots of tourists souvenir hunting and locals just going for a stroll. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jgmxxi-s9z4/Torzs8bKuXI/AAAAAAAAAW4/L6Wg6_pqS7c/s1600/IMG_0757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jgmxxi-s9z4/Torzs8bKuXI/AAAAAAAAAW4/L6Wg6_pqS7c/s320/IMG_0757.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spreadin' the love in Insadong. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jv4vkF7JIvk/TorzjJcRI-I/AAAAAAAAAW0/syxE3px20Sg/s1600/IMG_0756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jv4vkF7JIvk/TorzjJcRI-I/AAAAAAAAAW0/syxE3px20Sg/s320/IMG_0756.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our friend David getting his free hug.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kkiyYqxQOUw/Torzx_2llpI/AAAAAAAAAW8/a7lJy7ToO0w/s1600/IMG_0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kkiyYqxQOUw/Torzx_2llpI/AAAAAAAAAW8/a7lJy7ToO0w/s320/IMG_0762.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cool Buddha head at a shop in Insadong. It has 4 faces on it - sad, angry, smiling and laughing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3F0amdFJxQ/Torz2zs-HPI/AAAAAAAAAXA/q6UsTC0ijUU/s1600/IMG_0763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v3F0amdFJxQ/Torz2zs-HPI/AAAAAAAAAXA/q6UsTC0ijUU/s320/IMG_0763.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The happy side of Buddha! I didn't by this one but I did end up getting one in China eventually. I keep it by my bed now and turn its face round to the appropriate expression for how I feel jusy in case Rowan hasn't noticed! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJ3tQpULjJM/Torz7ZFIlmI/AAAAAAAAAXE/nt875gudsi4/s1600/IMG_0771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BJ3tQpULjJM/Torz7ZFIlmI/AAAAAAAAAXE/nt875gudsi4/s320/IMG_0771.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hangin' with Ronald and the Gwangju massive killing time before the lantern parade started.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, we made our way to the Jogyesa temple (still in Jongno-gu in central Seoul) to see all the decorations and have a go at making our own lanterns. Jogyesa Temple is the head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and has nice peaceful grounds considering it's in the middle of Seoul. According to Wikipedia, it also contains Korean Natural Monument number 9 (love those numbers!), </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">an ancient white pine tree. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mFnFq5dIwE/TosSXLxotYI/AAAAAAAAAcU/ugplZzPfsK0/s1600/IMG_5107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mFnFq5dIwE/TosSXLxotYI/AAAAAAAAAcU/ugplZzPfsK0/s320/IMG_5107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jogyesa Temple's grounds were decorated with hundreds of brightly coloured paper lanterns. There were lots of people at the temple, some coming to worship and others to get paper lanterns for the parade.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1otABfAS3P0/Tor01r404TI/AAAAAAAAAXo/QZUPYFln-iw/s1600/IMG_0813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1otABfAS3P0/Tor01r404TI/AAAAAAAAAXo/QZUPYFln-iw/s320/IMG_0813.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper lantern making assembly line in Jogyesa Temple. They were free and came with a pack of candles.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-maIbXXItIMM/TosSi7mCULI/AAAAAAAAAcc/j6DcdcfTbE0/s1600/IMG_5110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-maIbXXItIMM/TosSi7mCULI/AAAAAAAAAcc/j6DcdcfTbE0/s320/IMG_5110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stephanie and I with our lanterns assembled and ready for action!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOu5To1s0t4/Tor0cQ-yjCI/AAAAAAAAAXY/nHpDQZxUMoA/s1600/IMG_0787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tOu5To1s0t4/Tor0cQ-yjCI/AAAAAAAAAXY/nHpDQZxUMoA/s320/IMG_0787.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">We saw a couple of friendly monks at the temple in orange robes who were answering some foreign visitors questions about Buddhism and their way </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"> life in fairly decent English. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtruUxEqESA/Tor1LIq1tZI/AAAAAAAAAX0/Fy8I6KAwI1I/s1600/IMG_0818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtruUxEqESA/Tor1LIq1tZI/AAAAAAAAAX0/Fy8I6KAwI1I/s320/IMG_0818.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbtIgy_EAh0/Tor0h0-WQ2I/AAAAAAAAAXc/UnayH6MpMZY/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worshippers praying in front of some giant Buddha statues in Jogyesa Temple.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CUQt9JY96zU/Tor1SqMOJEI/AAAAAAAAAX4/rl2KwPBgfKs/s1600/IMG_0819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CUQt9JY96zU/Tor1SqMOJEI/AAAAAAAAAX4/rl2KwPBgfKs/s320/IMG_0819.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of the two gold statues.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we stopped off at a little </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">감자탕 (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">kamcha-tang - potato soup) restaurant for some food, beer and of course soju. We had to prop our lanterns up against the wall next to the shelves where you're supposed to leave your shoes and they fell over a couple of times with much crashing of metal poles and embarrassment - damn waygooks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YYeB7x5VNDg/Tor1Yo8z4ZI/AAAAAAAAAX8/2HaYjezXWog/s1600/IMG_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YYeB7x5VNDg/Tor1Yo8z4ZI/AAAAAAAAAX8/2HaYjezXWog/s320/IMG_0823.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather unappetising sounding alien rice dish at the kamcha-tang restaurant.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZyd7YOOWoA/Tor1eDituQI/AAAAAAAAAYA/8MmyWgjCLxE/s1600/IMG_0824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZyd7YOOWoA/Tor1eDituQI/AAAAAAAAAYA/8MmyWgjCLxE/s320/IMG_0824.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David being lumbered with ordering the food as per usual due to his superior Korean language skills.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aDUPii5LWKs/Tor1kXEIPCI/AAAAAAAAAYE/5U589bDZeyc/s1600/IMG_0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aDUPii5LWKs/Tor1kXEIPCI/AAAAAAAAAYE/5U589bDZeyc/s320/IMG_0828.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients for the kamcha-tang in the pot prior to cooking. As with many Korean dishes, you cook it yourself at your table.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After we'd eaten enough noodles and rice to make your stomach explode we gathered up our lanterns and made our way to the parade route as dusk loomed. We wanted to avoid the crowds as much as possible but as is always the case with big public events anywhere in the world, this was no easy task. We ended up standing on a slightly smaller and quieter side road to watch the parade though it soon got really busy there too. It began in daylight with bands of costumed people carrying lanterns or playing instruments. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbtIgy_EAh0/Tor0h0-WQ2I/AAAAAAAAAXc/UnayH6MpMZY/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbtIgy_EAh0/Tor0h0-WQ2I/AAAAAAAAAXc/UnayH6MpMZY/s320/IMG_0794.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The obligatory samul nori (Korean folk music) performance that you seem to get at every Korean event - this time in parade format.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jtF_M1gT4M/Tor0Qt_sATI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/pXRMBWSokxY/s1600/IMG_0779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jtF_M1gT4M/Tor0Qt_sATI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/pXRMBWSokxY/s320/IMG_0779.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ajummas with their lanterns.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was still revelling in having a dslr camera again and had brought my new tripod with me to capture those difficult low light lantern-at-night shots once it got dark. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wBcjxi3sdQ/Tor6osZ29YI/AAAAAAAAAYI/ZD-xPJZKmMk/s1600/IMG_0837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wBcjxi3sdQ/Tor6osZ29YI/AAAAAAAAAYI/ZD-xPJZKmMk/s320/IMG_0837.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standing at the side of the road with our lanterns waiting for the parade to come past as it got dark.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zyke7zNjNw/Tor6ysz4JKI/AAAAAAAAAYM/qVjo-e69L2E/s1600/IMG_0845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zyke7zNjNw/Tor6ysz4JKI/AAAAAAAAAYM/qVjo-e69L2E/s320/IMG_0845.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lantern in front of a sign for Insadong and Jogyesa temple.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the lantern parade properly got going it was spectacular. Wave after wave of people, most dressed in costumes of one sort or another, traditional, modern or ridiculous, marched past cheerfully holding aloft their handmade lanterns. There were some huge floats with beautifully decorated lanterns in various shapes, many being traditional Buddhist images and a few that were a bit more novel. </span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UWwrbUiDI_I/Tor7DS8OUnI/AAAAAAAAAYU/oo6_q-ng_ZQ/s1600/IMG_0870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UWwrbUiDI_I/Tor7DS8OUnI/AAAAAAAAAYU/oo6_q-ng_ZQ/s320/IMG_0870.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jSy8BIfDwgs/Tor7WJCSTHI/AAAAAAAAAYc/rtnENzXonbE/s1600/IMG_0875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jSy8BIfDwgs/Tor7WJCSTHI/AAAAAAAAAYc/rtnENzXonbE/s320/IMG_0875.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkUaJadaZjU/Tor7gOtVAnI/AAAAAAAAAYg/4_eWy6E0KAY/s1600/IMG_0885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkUaJadaZjU/Tor7gOtVAnI/AAAAAAAAAYg/4_eWy6E0KAY/s320/IMG_0885.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKQ1jPAZ6do/Tor7pMCOhqI/AAAAAAAAAYk/gISiUv70TeQ/s1600/IMG_0892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKQ1jPAZ6do/Tor7pMCOhqI/AAAAAAAAAYk/gISiUv70TeQ/s320/IMG_0892.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a bit dark but you can just about make out the monks in their robes carrying lanterns.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifwhF-YQmZw/Tor70MDyXiI/AAAAAAAAAYo/1nvWQTuJSfI/s1600/IMG_0897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifwhF-YQmZw/Tor70MDyXiI/AAAAAAAAAYo/1nvWQTuJSfI/s320/IMG_0897.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HAounBOlhwQ/Tor78ct1f0I/AAAAAAAAAYs/WrvRytLe7eo/s1600/IMG_0898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HAounBOlhwQ/Tor78ct1f0I/AAAAAAAAAYs/WrvRytLe7eo/s320/IMG_0898.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_PUt5BPAAw/Tor8FaDxpzI/AAAAAAAAAYw/EuC3R0v8VjU/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_PUt5BPAAw/Tor8FaDxpzI/AAAAAAAAAYw/EuC3R0v8VjU/s320/IMG_0904.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People in the parade waved at the bystanders as they passed.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0-3RL634DY/Tor8NNFheKI/AAAAAAAAAY0/x2AaDO8hCaM/s1600/IMG_0915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0-3RL634DY/Tor8NNFheKI/AAAAAAAAAY0/x2AaDO8hCaM/s320/IMG_0915.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crazy character lantern float.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-gVkORGlD8/Tor8ee6gZ8I/AAAAAAAAAY8/fqF8TvGTvJw/s1600/IMG_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-gVkORGlD8/Tor8ee6gZ8I/AAAAAAAAAY8/fqF8TvGTvJw/s320/IMG_0924.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More character lanterns.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYVju1Z154M/Tor879tV2-I/AAAAAAAAAZI/sQE2CQUhSng/s1600/IMG_0982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYVju1Z154M/Tor879tV2-I/AAAAAAAAAZI/sQE2CQUhSng/s320/IMG_0982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9I7AeAjv5o/Tor9PfsfvxI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/NMnJ-meTImA/s1600/IMG_1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9I7AeAjv5o/Tor9PfsfvxI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/NMnJ-meTImA/s320/IMG_1005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHSUGvvY0rM/Tor9ZIs9hsI/AAAAAAAAAZU/6bmUgDzEM7Y/s1600/IMG_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHSUGvvY0rM/Tor9ZIs9hsI/AAAAAAAAAZU/6bmUgDzEM7Y/s320/IMG_1007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 2 photos above are of a group of Thais (I think) in full costume with drums and flags. There were a few different groups of people from other countries who took part in the parade, adding a bit of exotic flavour.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwwAXZCXOdg/Tor9nbvgNlI/AAAAAAAAAZc/w3WCA3Io5uE/s1600/IMG_1024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CwwAXZCXOdg/Tor9nbvgNlI/AAAAAAAAAZc/w3WCA3Io5uE/s320/IMG_1024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-832GF4SjMCM/Tor99WZc2vI/AAAAAAAAAZo/vPkWoBWA-Kc/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-832GF4SjMCM/Tor99WZc2vI/AAAAAAAAAZo/vPkWoBWA-Kc/s320/IMG_1038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_-i3bWtpug/Tor-G_yTC4I/AAAAAAAAAZs/8kezXCGBl78/s1600/IMG_1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_-i3bWtpug/Tor-G_yTC4I/AAAAAAAAAZs/8kezXCGBl78/s320/IMG_1049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8YZkqWvuuJc/Tor-PR_ceoI/AAAAAAAAAZw/GKBB-hknShA/s1600/IMG_1054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8YZkqWvuuJc/Tor-PR_ceoI/AAAAAAAAAZw/GKBB-hknShA/s320/IMG_1054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnGPl8k7e0s/Tor-W2bneeI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/0T24M18LgOo/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnGPl8k7e0s/Tor-W2bneeI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/0T24M18LgOo/s320/IMG_1055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-To1BdqcJoxs/Tor-h-7VALI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/clp9VJFmGok/s1600/IMG_1057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-To1BdqcJoxs/Tor-h-7VALI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/clp9VJFmGok/s320/IMG_1057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cute owl lanterns.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oXOooRnLpF0/Tor-6Ie9XlI/AAAAAAAAAaE/OjCQeIy7b3I/s1600/IMG_1113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oXOooRnLpF0/Tor-6Ie9XlI/AAAAAAAAAaE/OjCQeIy7b3I/s320/IMG_1113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pnhzJUhSarc/TosEUcAeaVI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/gFkwA3XtLJ0/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pnhzJUhSarc/TosEUcAeaVI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/gFkwA3XtLJ0/s320/IMG_1125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h4GE31XMz3I/TosEkcC_phI/AAAAAAAAAaY/sIg8ki4XG3Q/s1600/IMG_1131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h4GE31XMz3I/TosEkcC_phI/AAAAAAAAAaY/sIg8ki4XG3Q/s320/IMG_1131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUxoo71I_XQ/TosEuoDGgTI/AAAAAAAAAac/N0iVTNaGh6k/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUxoo71I_XQ/TosEuoDGgTI/AAAAAAAAAac/N0iVTNaGh6k/s320/IMG_1146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHvYoztFtKA/TosE4x7EZKI/AAAAAAAAAag/bqWrYbcTsbQ/s1600/IMG_1148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHvYoztFtKA/TosE4x7EZKI/AAAAAAAAAag/bqWrYbcTsbQ/s320/IMG_1148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--F82FAp-zTw/TosE_WSYqLI/AAAAAAAAAak/NeKCKu1nFWY/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--F82FAp-zTw/TosE_WSYqLI/AAAAAAAAAak/NeKCKu1nFWY/s320/IMG_1160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhOwzPG3IXI/TosFTgEg59I/AAAAAAAAAas/cafNXFTjXNM/s1600/IMG_1162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhOwzPG3IXI/TosFTgEg59I/AAAAAAAAAas/cafNXFTjXNM/s320/IMG_1162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A beautiful dragon lantern being carried along by pairs of hard working Koreans.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-PzmYrnoEA/TosFmIFpIBI/AAAAAAAAAa0/4ax-OQPTmfE/s1600/IMG_1166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-PzmYrnoEA/TosFmIFpIBI/AAAAAAAAAa0/4ax-OQPTmfE/s320/IMG_1166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I0S4b-DEy_k/TosFuvwlRYI/AAAAAAAAAa4/GNJLpOyaUgY/s1600/IMG_1178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I0S4b-DEy_k/TosFuvwlRYI/AAAAAAAAAa4/GNJLpOyaUgY/s320/IMG_1178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47jtx9aJvMY/TosF4KwyzZI/AAAAAAAAAa8/L-i6ZppDtvQ/s1600/IMG_1179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47jtx9aJvMY/TosF4KwyzZI/AAAAAAAAAa8/L-i6ZppDtvQ/s320/IMG_1179.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jK94sv0aln4/TosGJFT7iLI/AAAAAAAAAbE/DwM7hHrjGyY/s1600/IMG_1184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jK94sv0aln4/TosGJFT7iLI/AAAAAAAAAbE/DwM7hHrjGyY/s320/IMG_1184.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eNF-qV4MDGE/TosGfUBwQeI/AAAAAAAAAbM/20TZYe9QR78/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eNF-qV4MDGE/TosGfUBwQeI/AAAAAAAAAbM/20TZYe9QR78/s320/IMG_1205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLqyXr4A4Ic/TosGo383CuI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/vvKEkeU7nZ4/s1600/IMG_1210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLqyXr4A4Ic/TosGo383CuI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/vvKEkeU7nZ4/s320/IMG_1210.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FxwioTGjAXE/TosGx-ZOWII/AAAAAAAAAbU/GyvXqPmgypA/s1600/IMG_1224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FxwioTGjAXE/TosGx-ZOWII/AAAAAAAAAbU/GyvXqPmgypA/s320/IMG_1224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQv719mVW2I/TosHP0bQyLI/AAAAAAAAAbg/ZFCQxMRDNLo/s1600/IMG_1235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQv719mVW2I/TosHP0bQyLI/AAAAAAAAAbg/ZFCQxMRDNLo/s320/IMG_1235.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zS03AXxGUVk/TosHrYlMv0I/AAAAAAAAAbs/RYcp6HYrxqQ/s1600/IMG_1256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zS03AXxGUVk/TosHrYlMv0I/AAAAAAAAAbs/RYcp6HYrxqQ/s320/IMG_1256.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More monks.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dfaus0l4pKU/TosH38dAEzI/AAAAAAAAAbw/orK7tSTXj1k/s1600/IMG_1276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dfaus0l4pKU/TosH38dAEzI/AAAAAAAAAbw/orK7tSTXj1k/s320/IMG_1276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzB11eyUWno/TosIARdIzXI/AAAAAAAAAb0/sIrcv27M2F4/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzB11eyUWno/TosIARdIzXI/AAAAAAAAAb0/sIrcv27M2F4/s320/IMG_1278.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was perhaps the strangest of all the lanterns. The centre of the face was a TV screen that showed pictures of kids faces, changing image every so often to a different child. Not sure what the reason was behind it but it looked...unique!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6FoyY9hsDY/TosStnslr1I/AAAAAAAAAco/f6ydvc3bUQ4/s1600/IMG_5160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6FoyY9hsDY/TosStnslr1I/AAAAAAAAAco/f6ydvc3bUQ4/s320/IMG_5160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It went on and on for maybe a couple of hours or so, the stream of lantern bearers seemed never-ending. Eventually we could see that the parade was coming to a close and we decided to try to be clever and leave a little early to avoid the crush on the subway. Well, it was still pretty crowded of course, but we did get home for more soju a little earlier than we otherwise would and that's the most important thing! As we left the main drag of the parade we saw its participants relaxing and chatting after their part in it had finished. It felt like being backstage at the theatre or something!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x9tZgExeLTU/TosIaIr8mxI/AAAAAAAAAcA/X_JSiVeHQqM/s1600/IMG_1286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x9tZgExeLTU/TosIaIr8mxI/AAAAAAAAAcA/X_JSiVeHQqM/s320/IMG_1286.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Koreans seem to love making as much noise as possible, whether its students shouting at school or an old guy with his Bongo truck trying to sell his piles of garlic by broadcasting a recorded message about them to the whole neighbourhood via EXTREMELY loud speakers. Even the monks got in on the act at the festival - maybe he's using a monkcrophone (sorry - I hate myself too).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sRc2pzeOa-w/TosIJ-Nn_6I/AAAAAAAAAb4/v1z1o9xFdr0/s1600/IMG_1283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sRc2pzeOa-w/TosIJ-Nn_6I/AAAAAAAAAb4/v1z1o9xFdr0/s320/IMG_1283.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yysxOX-LOlw/TosIRfSqO0I/AAAAAAAAAb8/i8YQMOk6Pbs/s1600/IMG_1284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yysxOX-LOlw/TosIRfSqO0I/AAAAAAAAAb8/i8YQMOk6Pbs/s320/IMG_1284.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EECWUFu-jfA/TosIijRkUOI/AAAAAAAAAcE/KRr6S5pER9Q/s1600/IMG_1291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EECWUFu-jfA/TosIijRkUOI/AAAAAAAAAcE/KRr6S5pER9Q/s320/IMG_1291.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Backstage" gathering. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0ptATnTiec/TosHhnnTFCI/AAAAAAAAAbo/YXSOQNGhHGM/s1600/IMG_1254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0ptATnTiec/TosHhnnTFCI/AAAAAAAAAbo/YXSOQNGhHGM/s320/IMG_1254.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan, Leif and Amy still carrying their lit lanterns.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWlDnQVIWnA/TosI6wUOsXI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/GPKCk_qAqJ0/s1600/IMG_1298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWlDnQVIWnA/TosI6wUOsXI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/GPKCk_qAqJ0/s320/IMG_1298.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A group of older Koreans in traditional hanbok cheerfully posing with their lanterns.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C45DpGJtYJk/TosIxbxPkoI/AAAAAAAAAcM/MltjEYaiQCY/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C45DpGJtYJk/TosIxbxPkoI/AAAAAAAAAcM/MltjEYaiQCY/s320/IMG_1294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way to the subway station having given up on keeping the lanterns alight.</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-37523254667909536952011-07-25T12:33:00.003+09:002012-02-16T16:36:34.261+09:00Our first visitor from home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Back in spring we got our first visitor from England, to be honest I hadn't really expected anyone to make the long journey out here. Korea is neither cheap nor easy to get to from England, and doesn't exactly have a huge amount of beaches or good weather, so it's not a common tourist destination. Still our friend Tom who we know from university made it all the way out here just to see us, which was quite an honour.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">His journey out here went completely smoothly for thousands of miles until he was a few miles from Gwangju when his bus broke down! So he was sat by the side of the road waiting for an hour for a new bus to come along and take him those final few miles. Luckily he'd hired a phone at the airport so we could keep in touch and I knew what had happened. When he finally arrived we returned to our apartment and had a bit of lunch and then didn't do much for the rest of the day. Tom was obviously pretty tired from an 11 hour flight plus bus delays etc. so we just chilled out, had a chat and caught up on news and gossip from home.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">In the evening, we met up with our neighbours and some other friends and when out for duck. We have recently discovered that duck is one of the most delicious foods in Korea. At our favorite duck place in Gwangju their special is duck cooked in two ways. First you get duck shabbu shabbu which is very thinly sliced duck which comes out with a pot of broth boiling away on a little table top stove. You take the thin slices of duck and dip them into the boiling broth to cook them. After all the duck is cooked you get some noodles to cook in the broth and finally some rice to soak up the last bits. After the shabbu shabbu the second and best course comes out, thick slices of duck roasted inside a pumpkin and sprinkled with nuts. The pumpkin soaks up the duck fat and picks up its delicious, rich taste.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VJcd8gmAn_o/TjokQgZ_wBI/AAAAAAAACSk/GMk-Ba7Ynz8/s1600/Ipod+Pics+085.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VJcd8gmAn_o/TjokQgZ_wBI/AAAAAAAACSk/GMk-Ba7Ynz8/s320/Ipod+Pics+085.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Tom and our friend Stephanie with a pile of thin sliced duck and a bowl of broth in front of them</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tkGlMocEmZs/TjokVstfaYI/AAAAAAAACTA/7_OQTjEt4OE/s1600/Ipod+Pics+101.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tkGlMocEmZs/TjokVstfaYI/AAAAAAAACTA/7_OQTjEt4OE/s320/Ipod+Pics+101.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Our neighbours' friend Adam was visiting from Canada at the same time as Tom, he's the one laughing in the foreground. You can see the duck in pumpkin in the front of this picture. It comes in thick slices with a topping of nuts and pumpkin seeds.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_t_WnhQdf18/TjokWL7SLfI/AAAAAAAACTE/BnLwuzzJh_U/s1600/Ipod+Pics+104.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_t_WnhQdf18/TjokWL7SLfI/AAAAAAAACTE/BnLwuzzJh_U/s320/Ipod+Pics+104.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">A rather sickening picture that is only worth posting because it was honestly not staged, this is just how the noodles fell at the end on the bowl.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The next day we decided to take Tom on a tour of Gwangju. There seemed to be some kind of festival going on in the stadium across the road from our apartment so our first stop was in there to see what was going on. Whatever was happening it wasn't much clearer from inside the stadium. Groups of kids seemed to be marching around, a guy on the stage was shouting into an echoing PA and various people from the city hall were hanging around for photo opportunities, I've no idea what it was all in aid of though! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zX7G5Ea2Ag/ToMg1PGQQMI/AAAAAAAACbo/_qMYD0OsP8w/s1600/IMG_4907.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zX7G5Ea2Ag/ToMg1PGQQMI/AAAAAAAACbo/_qMYD0OsP8w/s320/IMG_4907.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Some people in suits standing around being in photos and doing whatever it is that people in suits do at these kind of things</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozajc-8K8hg/ToMg3LPKxDI/AAAAAAAACbs/eQ3ry993PUE/s1600/IMG_4911.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozajc-8K8hg/ToMg3LPKxDI/AAAAAAAACbs/eQ3ry993PUE/s320/IMG_4911.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Balloons that the kids released.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">After we finished there we strolled through the rest of town taking in the local market and other things which we've covered in detail in previous posts. We came through the center of town and ended up at the edge of the fields that lead to Sophie's school. The weather was just starting to warm up after the long cold winter and for the first time in months the fields were free of snow. So we decided to take a walk through the fields and look at a traditional graveyard just above the fields which we'd been wanting to check out for a while but it had been far too cold. The graveyard was really beautiful the weather was just right for talking a stroll. The dead dog dumped by the side of the road wasn't so beautiful but gave Sophie an interesting subject to photograph none the less.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDrLwMQJv6Y/ToMg9OSEvyI/AAAAAAAACb0/J8aZSI6Lciw/s1600/IMG_4914.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDrLwMQJv6Y/ToMg9OSEvyI/AAAAAAAACb0/J8aZSI6Lciw/s320/IMG_4914.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Sophie's delightful picture of a dead dog</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61NqBybyYLg/ToMhHqgavPI/AAAAAAAACcA/bxsSpJ_7nuM/s1600/IMG_4918.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61NqBybyYLg/ToMhHqgavPI/AAAAAAAACcA/bxsSpJ_7nuM/s320/IMG_4918.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Traditional Korean graveyard.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9ryK1kWazU/ToMhK4aTQyI/AAAAAAAACcE/C-30LL-tCSQ/s1600/IMG_4921.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p9ryK1kWazU/ToMhK4aTQyI/AAAAAAAACcE/C-30LL-tCSQ/s320/IMG_4921.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">Korean grave yards are very different to English graveyards. They're not next to a church or temple but are usually found on the sides of hills out in country side, they're also one of the few places in Korea where you see grass as the trees are cleared away.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wDdCR1DU154/ToMhFMmQcqI/AAAAAAAACb8/5FtBrFys4Hw/s1600/IMG_4917.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wDdCR1DU154/ToMhFMmQcqI/AAAAAAAACb8/5FtBrFys4Hw/s320/IMG_4917.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">The Korean graves do have grave stones as you can see but the the main feature of the grave is a grassy mound. The graves are kept pretty well maintained as families visit the graves several times a year for various special days</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The next day we headed into Seoul our first stop was Namdaemun, to show Tom around the market but also to visit Sophie's favorite little camera store, a place called Yesdica. You can find directions and an excellent guide to camera shopping in Korea <a href="http://www.davidsmeaton.com/index.php/super-daves-korean-camera-buying-guide/">here</a>. Our reason for visiting this time was because Sophie needed to get a new camera. Without going into too many details, some idiot left the camera bag with the camera body, three different lenses and various other accessories behind in a taxi. Yes, I was that idiot and somehow Sophie managed not to kill me! I'm really not sure I'd have been so forgiving if the roles were reversed. So with our wallets about a million won (just over <span class="st">£</span>500) lighter we headed off to the war museum to take the new camera through it's paces.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIVijGYCceM/ToMZlGGwshI/AAAAAAAACYg/nh56DPPad6Y/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIVijGYCceM/ToMZlGGwshI/AAAAAAAACYg/nh56DPPad6Y/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></span> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The friendly owner of our favorite Korean camera shop</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It was our second visit the war museum. To read about it in more detail check our first post: <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/06/seoul-museums-part-3-war-memorial-of.html">http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/06/seoul-museums-part-3-war-memorial-of.html</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It's a massive museum and despite this being the second visit we've still barely scratched the surface. From our first visit we saw that there was a lot of cool stuff outside, so since the weather was good and it was getting a bit late in the day we concentrated on the vehicles, statues and other assorted stuff out there. One of my favorite "weapons" on display at the museum were the propaganda speakers which were used to broadcast material over the border to the north. Apparently these speakers had a range of 15 kilometers - now that would make for a good party.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JNTt_vDlPw4/ToMZ_1XCtnI/AAAAAAAACY8/2mY-5zejhXg/s1600/IMG_0019.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JNTt_vDlPw4/ToMZ_1XCtnI/AAAAAAAACY8/2mY-5zejhXg/s320/IMG_0019.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Civilians in the bronze monument out the front of the museum. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8Q_0MRPbUM/ToMa9eCjaNI/AAAAAAAACZ4/LRLHJP_v1rM/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8Q_0MRPbUM/ToMa9eCjaNI/AAAAAAAACZ4/LRLHJP_v1rM/s320/IMG_0063.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Some pretty cool small surveillance and medical evacuation helicopters</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8mybCfSCpM/ToMaRo9U1DI/AAAAAAAACZM/z6xVJDmeiYU/s1600/IMG_0026.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8mybCfSCpM/ToMaRo9U1DI/AAAAAAAACZM/z6xVJDmeiYU/s320/IMG_0026.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Little girl running with prow of gunship in the background</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--XqBQyiOFyg/ToMaVnD6HMI/AAAAAAAACZQ/5S3nvpbimgc/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--XqBQyiOFyg/ToMaVnD6HMI/AAAAAAAACZQ/5S3nvpbimgc/s320/IMG_0027.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">A plane... of some kind or other</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tf0Q_iSDx_U/ToMaZiJisHI/AAAAAAAACZU/w9PhJZXvk0Y/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tf0Q_iSDx_U/ToMaZiJisHI/AAAAAAAACZU/w9PhJZXvk0Y/s320/IMG_0032.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The guns of an assorted array of tanks - with some pretty flowers - nice spot to read a book.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugKZgk6vgtM/ToMbPHorMiI/AAAAAAAACaI/l7j5gqthu8Q/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugKZgk6vgtM/ToMbPHorMiI/AAAAAAAACaI/l7j5gqthu8Q/s320/IMG_0072.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The previously mentioned speaker with a 15 kilometer range.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLbaEuvUZ_M/ToMflG91_II/AAAAAAAACaY/aa9oWTisLp4/s1600/IMG_0094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fLbaEuvUZ_M/ToMflG91_II/AAAAAAAACaY/aa9oWTisLp4/s320/IMG_0094.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">Missiles.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2V4ZBfIb-Y/ToMgdUP2mVI/AAAAAAAACbM/UUpo7NMdorg/s1600/IMG_0118.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2V4ZBfIb-Y/ToMgdUP2mVI/AAAAAAAACbM/UUpo7NMdorg/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">One of the few indoor pictures, this is a replica of admiral Yi Sun Shin's famous turtle ship, the revolutionary fully enclosed deck studded with iron spikes lead to many victories against the Japanese forces in the 1500's and Korean's are still very proud of this ship.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsccePM99Eg/ToMbSBAT4fI/AAAAAAAACaM/K1NxXKM9HTA/s1600/IMG_0085.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsccePM99Eg/ToMbSBAT4fI/AAAAAAAACaM/K1NxXKM9HTA/s320/IMG_0085.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">Kids playing on some anti aircraft guns, It's nice to see weapons of war becoming a playground for kids.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CckbYWEDtKM/ToMf0hTXwSI/AAAAAAAACao/LQgkpyAU5gk/s1600/IMG_0100.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CckbYWEDtKM/ToMf0hTXwSI/AAAAAAAACao/LQgkpyAU5gk/s320/IMG_0100.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">Lot's of the vehicles were open so you could climb around inside and have a look, Korean museums tend to be much more hands on and interactive than their English counterparts.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsr153ilqBI/ToMgsXh_PuI/AAAAAAAACbc/OQLkcaSIPgs/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsr153ilqBI/ToMgsXh_PuI/AAAAAAAACbc/OQLkcaSIPgs/s320/IMG_0127.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
Statue of a soldier and civilian embracing.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">During the week that Tom was with us we were still working, so we had to leave him to his own devices during the day. He got up to all sorts of exciting things like hiking up Bukhansan, (a big mountain north of Seoul). And visiting Chuncheon, which is a pretty town in the mountains at the border of our province out to the east.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">While Tom was around we took a trip to Moran market, which is apparently the biggest market in Korea. At some point we will do a more details post all about Moran market, it really is an amazing place when you can see all kinds of Korean culture and find everything from roast centipedes to live geese, not to mention whole roast dogs and various steamed offal. It truly is an assault on all the senses.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xR8jhkZ0h30/ToMhVsnxLTI/AAAAAAAACcU/TNakRqwgAEs/s1600/IMG_5038.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xR8jhkZ0h30/ToMhVsnxLTI/AAAAAAAACcU/TNakRqwgAEs/s320/IMG_5038.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Corn being milled into pulp by stone grindstones.<br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_GDkUdthQTo/ToMhZfdg_4I/AAAAAAAACcc/eRHuo1GXM1I/s1600/IMG_5040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_GDkUdthQTo/ToMhZfdg_4I/AAAAAAAACcc/eRHuo1GXM1I/s320/IMG_5040.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
Pancakes being fried up from the corn pulp being milled in the previous picture.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDW97craBaY/ToMhdt2auYI/AAAAAAAACck/5PoAWvu5sKU/s1600/IMG_5045.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDW97craBaY/ToMhdt2auYI/AAAAAAAACck/5PoAWvu5sKU/s320/IMG_5045.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
The traditional entertainment at the market, a man playing a rather unconvincing woman with money in her hair.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zo-0C8JF1TI/ToMhjOei5WI/AAAAAAAACcs/O4DEZIxO3OQ/s1600/IMG_5052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zo-0C8JF1TI/ToMhjOei5WI/AAAAAAAACcs/O4DEZIxO3OQ/s320/IMG_5052.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The guys banging drums to provide a beat for the dancing "girl" to sing and dance to.<br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBVRdCOsa5o/ToMhlNyHyQI/AAAAAAAACcw/VQ8DRzbkx98/s1600/IMG_5054.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBVRdCOsa5o/ToMhlNyHyQI/AAAAAAAACcw/VQ8DRzbkx98/s320/IMG_5054.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">No I haven't had a stroke, I'm eating some incredibly chewy sweets that the dancing and druming guys were selling and am trying to prise my teeth apart.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vcetgzp8pgk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">Some video of the guys doing their stuff.<br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">After spending a week with us Tom headed off to visit our friend Dean down in Jeju, an island off the south coast where he now runs a guesthouse with his Korean wife, Tom had a great time down in Jeju but since we couldn't come with him I can't tell you about that.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over all it was really nice having a visitor to show around, it was great to see a friend from home and it was also nice to have an excuse to go around tourist sites that we'd been meaning to revisit for ages.</span></div>Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244316682200849733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-24515905240883650552011-07-12T22:20:00.002+09:002012-02-16T16:57:33.624+09:00Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in April we travelled with our posse from Gwangju-si to the Spring Flower Festival at Yeouido in central Seoul. It was one of the first properly warm weekends of the year after a long, bitterly cold winter. The arrival of Spring in Korea is celebrated by lots of local festivals all over the country where people flock to admire the wild flowers and enjoy a bit of stroll in the sunshine. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl3wqG4FX-k/TmTi-qEYjUI/AAAAAAAACWs/AiiARhJlR0U/s1600/IMG_4789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl3wqG4FX-k/TmTi-qEYjUI/AAAAAAAACWs/AiiARhJlR0U/s320/IMG_4789.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty cherry blossom at the Spring Flower Festival. </span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vv51Rt_tftc/TmTlsY9pDSI/AAAAAAAACXs/VPwK5b2Kz5c/s1600/IMG_4867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vv51Rt_tftc/TmTlsY9pDSI/AAAAAAAACXs/VPwK5b2Kz5c/s320/IMG_4867.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two festival mascots posing for photos.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, the blooms that most people go to see are the cherry blossoms and Yeouido is the most popular place in Seoul to see them. Yeouido is actually a large island in the Han river and is one of the most affluent areas of Seoul. Apparently, Koreans call Yeouido "Korea's Manhattan". It contains Korea's National Assembly Building where the government meet. The street behind this building is lined with around 1400 cherry trees and is the most famous cherry blossom street in Seoul. Naturally that means huge crowds of people and a scrum on the subway to get there and to get away again but it was a really pretty sight and worth the effort. The cherry blossom street ran right next to the river Han and the trees and their flowers were so dense that they formed a kind of snowy white and pink tunnel. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qD_MHSbuRpk/TmTiED-KcwI/AAAAAAAACV8/_9OIQzMMskM/s1600/IMG_4765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qD_MHSbuRpk/TmTiED-KcwI/AAAAAAAACV8/_9OIQzMMskM/s320/IMG_4765.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking along the most popular cherry blossom street in Seoul.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKiW19rdzmg/TmTitq0xaLI/AAAAAAAACWg/wj2J2Gy0VCU/s1600/IMG_4784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vKiW19rdzmg/TmTitq0xaLI/AAAAAAAACWg/wj2J2Gy0VCU/s320/IMG_4784.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In places, the cherry blossom was so dense that it formed a tunnel, a pretty tunnel filled with snap happy folk armed with all kinds of cameras.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SWsM4Nvo7oQ/TmTiyzmZolI/AAAAAAAACWk/ObYoq8_bCoU/s1600/IMG_4787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SWsM4Nvo7oQ/TmTiyzmZolI/AAAAAAAACWk/ObYoq8_bCoU/s320/IMG_4787.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another shot of the blossom as it was just so pretty!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkkHRo8gTE4/TmTlwMGXAhI/AAAAAAAACXw/cm0gqccDEak/s1600/IMG_4870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkkHRo8gTE4/TmTlwMGXAhI/AAAAAAAACXw/cm0gqccDEak/s320/IMG_4870.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The National Assembly Building where the Korean Government sits. According to Wikipedia, from 2004 - 2009 the Korean National Assembly gained international notoriety for its frequent violent disputes including "open physical combat". In 2009 "Assembly members battled each other with sledgehammers and fire extinguishers". Hardcore!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--GMKpr1E4oc/TmTl0G-WtqI/AAAAAAAACX0/8XDOkI0oqwo/s1600/IMG_4874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--GMKpr1E4oc/TmTl0G-WtqI/AAAAAAAACX0/8XDOkI0oqwo/s320/IMG_4874.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some inspiring type statue in front of the Assembly building. Or are they just getting ready to throw that metal ring at other Assembly members?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The festival wasn't all flowers either. As well as the blossoms, there was a samul nori performance (traditional Korean folk music), a flower decorating exhibition and some other arty, cultural stuff including a bizarre drama/modern dance performance by a man and woman on a stage - the man just stood there looking impassive while the woman jumped and stalked about the stage in a green dress - weird. I still have no idea what that was all about. There was also the usual food and drink stalls and one stall filled with strange animal and insect displays, some alive and some dead. Not sure what the link was to the Flower Festival there but whatever.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HdCMbaW6dhc/TmTlNdup_JI/AAAAAAAACXM/SX2CJraRuI8/s1600/IMG_4846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HdCMbaW6dhc/TmTlNdup_JI/AAAAAAAACXM/SX2CJraRuI8/s320/IMG_4846.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Samul nori performers playing on the cherry blossom street.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uma_iZEAOaY/TmTllC0IRrI/AAAAAAAACXk/VqgN8EkeUW8/s1600/IMG_4864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uma_iZEAOaY/TmTllC0IRrI/AAAAAAAACXk/VqgN8EkeUW8/s320/IMG_4864.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Samul nori involves a lot of drum banging, dancing and bright costumes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-84gFqUGSsjw/TmTlRhvrQfI/AAAAAAAACXQ/TxML4z_pYc4/s1600/IMG_4847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-84gFqUGSsjw/TmTlRhvrQfI/AAAAAAAACXQ/TxML4z_pYc4/s320/IMG_4847.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The performers also use big metal gongs and pipes to create the tune.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pp5riidnCsU/TmTjaxpNHwI/AAAAAAAACXE/qhcs1CS14P0/s1600/IMG_4822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pp5riidnCsU/TmTjaxpNHwI/AAAAAAAACXE/qhcs1CS14P0/s320/IMG_4822.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the drums were pretty massive compared to the size of the players.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsxgVyvDLnc/TmTje_oLGtI/AAAAAAAACXI/J-zrReWsoB8/s1600/IMG_4828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsxgVyvDLnc/TmTje_oLGtI/AAAAAAAACXI/J-zrReWsoB8/s320/IMG_4828.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Samul nori looks impressive and it gives older Koreans a chance to jump around making a lot of noise - though of course they never need an excuse for that anyway!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Buxxg8Qu4VI/TmTlgG5Em-I/AAAAAAAACXg/6iFKOg1zmAE/s1600/IMG_4860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Buxxg8Qu4VI/TmTlgG5Em-I/AAAAAAAACXg/6iFKOg1zmAE/s320/IMG_4860.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This guy was cool. He played the pipe for the samul nori performance from his mobility scooter.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_A2W4X4Qyq4/TmTlpdcEh2I/AAAAAAAACXo/AqscgE1Gk2k/s1600/IMG_4865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_A2W4X4Qyq4/TmTlpdcEh2I/AAAAAAAACXo/AqscgE1Gk2k/s320/IMG_4865.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other pipe player.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oojh60Yi16Q/TmTl8Gm5s-I/AAAAAAAACX8/2SyaD8_Q88Y/s1600/IMG_4890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oojh60Yi16Q/TmTl8Gm5s-I/AAAAAAAACX8/2SyaD8_Q88Y/s320/IMG_4890.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Koreans express their love of herbs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dRb4ps8gMdY/TmTl3Y4bhkI/AAAAAAAACX4/1DZErO7PvHE/s1600/IMG_4879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dRb4ps8gMdY/TmTl3Y4bhkI/AAAAAAAACX4/1DZErO7PvHE/s320/IMG_4879.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two actors in the bizarre stage performance. The guy just stood there stony faced while the woman danced around the stage.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFDiSW5dNg8/TmTiIO1Ow_I/AAAAAAAACWA/YoUIxSUsifs/s1600/IMG_4771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFDiSW5dNg8/TmTiIO1Ow_I/AAAAAAAACWA/YoUIxSUsifs/s320/IMG_4771.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A caged sugar glider at the weird animal and insect tent. It was very cute looking but I found it's little pink paws a bit disturbing somehow.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtcYk9kqPcQ/TmTiZFUYTHI/AAAAAAAACWQ/YqVHw6KKTOQ/s1600/IMG_4777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtcYk9kqPcQ/TmTiZFUYTHI/AAAAAAAACWQ/YqVHw6KKTOQ/s320/IMG_4777.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some really gross looking grubs at the same stall. I'm not sure but I think they were selling them as pets. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j3DpRsmNKdE/TmTiciev3TI/AAAAAAAACWU/FsgyTHsffIg/s1600/IMG_4779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j3DpRsmNKdE/TmTiciev3TI/AAAAAAAACWU/FsgyTHsffIg/s320/IMG_4779.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the insects in the tent were dead and on display ion glass cabinets like these unfortunate creatures. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-6Q4CRToxQ/TmTiL3rweII/AAAAAAAACWE/x83SO7PDjsM/s1600/IMG_4772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-6Q4CRToxQ/TmTiL3rweII/AAAAAAAACWE/x83SO7PDjsM/s320/IMG_4772.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some unlucky butterflies.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gFaDf8NIXO0/TmTiPLd-F6I/AAAAAAAACWI/9H3jF9dea5o/s1600/IMG_4775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gFaDf8NIXO0/TmTiPLd-F6I/AAAAAAAACWI/9H3jF9dea5o/s320/IMG_4775.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More weird and deceased bugs.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a really nice place to stroll around and a good opportunity for taking photos, something I'm always keen to do (though unfortunately so is everyone else in Korea)! Lots of people were riding bikes and flying kites by the river Han and there were some folks out kayaking there too. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLEqewp1GJ4/TmTh1a6gzwI/AAAAAAAACVw/gIauevVoLN0/s1600/IMG_4755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLEqewp1GJ4/TmTh1a6gzwI/AAAAAAAACVw/gIauevVoLN0/s320/IMG_4755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cute couple doing a stereotypical cute Korean couple thing - riding a tandem bike.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZVSP0ojnYc/TmTmA97-wvI/AAAAAAAACYA/RGQShsKk9GU/s1600/IMG_4892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZVSP0ojnYc/TmTmA97-wvI/AAAAAAAACYA/RGQShsKk9GU/s320/IMG_4892.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kayaks on the Han river.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hgN5VdW1uQ4/TmTmEQprYKI/AAAAAAAACYE/P1VZcEv6a9k/s1600/IMG_4894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hgN5VdW1uQ4/TmTmEQprYKI/AAAAAAAACYE/P1VZcEv6a9k/s320/IMG_4894.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our friend Amy flying a kite by the Han river.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, it was a very pleasant day out and a great way to welcome in the Spring. The crowds were quite intense but there was plenty of space in the parks at beside the Han to chill out and sit down. There were also lots of convenience stores around to pick up beer and snacks and everything is better with booze. </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5UG92_Qgnp4/TmTh9ipHE-I/AAAAAAAACV4/Us7mafRHz0E/s1600/IMG_4760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5UG92_Qgnp4/TmTh9ipHE-I/AAAAAAAACV4/Us7mafRHz0E/s320/IMG_4760.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kids playing in the fountain in a park by the river.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-emxYcHHVTmE/TmTin5I_RiI/AAAAAAAACWc/hGElfEV2mnI/s1600/IMG_4781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-emxYcHHVTmE/TmTin5I_RiI/AAAAAAAACWc/hGElfEV2mnI/s320/IMG_4781.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunshine through the trees in Yeouido.</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-36547079048302801852011-06-22T22:37:00.002+09:002012-02-16T16:58:19.771+09:00Goodbye Gwangju, hello Hanam<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Careful readers of this blog may have noticed that we are more than a little behind in our posts, well I say ours, Sophie is still keeping going, I haven't posted anything in so long that I barely remember it's existence! Well there is a reason that we got so far behind, and to understand why you have to cast your mind back to a lovely spring day back in March this year...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything was planned out for for the next year, we'd decided to stay at our schools, which despite their idiosyncrasies weren't bad places, we were used to the curriculum, we'd built up good relationships with the students and teachers and were generally looking forward to doing another year. Then it all fell apart. Sophie got called down to the office at her school one morning to discover that her school wasn't going to be able to renew her contract. It seems that the organisation which runs the foreign teacher's program (called GEPIK) had decided that it was going to "streamline" it's hiring process to make it more "efficient" - bywords for money saving job cuts if ever I've heard them! So their decision was that there would only be two periods a year when foreign teachers could be hired (in September and March) and there would be no hiring outside of these months. Unfortunately for us, we were hired in May (outside of the hiring months) and missed the cut off date for the new rule being introduced </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by five days!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I heard this I called up our local area coordinator in a bit of a panic. I discovered though that my contract was funded differently to Sophie's and was paid for by the city authority rather than the province wide agency that was "streamlining" so I could still have my contract renewed and stay at the same school. The next big shock was the discovery that Sophie's school alone provided the money for our accommodation, and as they were losing their funding there would be nowhere for us to live.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFavDF-x8No/Tn6lapoLlJI/AAAAAAAACYM/aGN7SKeZwE8/s1600/IMG_2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFavDF-x8No/Tn6lapoLlJI/AAAAAAAACYM/aGN7SKeZwE8/s320/IMG_2122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Home sweet home - our apartment building in Gwangju. It may look a bit like a bleak, Soviet era concrete box but it was actually a really nice apartment, huge, new and with great views. We were really sad to lose it, especially the oven that came with it (ovens are not standard in Korean kitchens)! </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhtaOyTLPlY/Tn6llOLgpjI/AAAAAAAACYU/zKVWuwZJqlE/s1600/IMG_2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jGenfK1Rjzk/Tn6nHYq_USI/AAAAAAAACYY/OPKnxum48Gg/s1600/IMG_1457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jGenfK1Rjzk/Tn6nHYq_USI/AAAAAAAACYY/OPKnxum48Gg/s320/IMG_1457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View over Gwangju from the front balcony of our old apartment. It was on the 15th floor and offered unobstructed views over the city.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhtaOyTLPlY/Tn6llOLgpjI/AAAAAAAACYU/zKVWuwZJqlE/s1600/IMG_2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhtaOyTLPlY/Tn6llOLgpjI/AAAAAAAACYU/zKVWuwZJqlE/s320/IMG_2138.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunset over the mountains viewed from out the back of our Gwangju apartment. </span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the end result of this streamlining was that Sophie would lose her job and we were going to lose our apartment - not good. We tried looking for new public school jobs but without much success as it's always difficult for couples to find jobs with shared housing working for the public schools, especially outside of the peak hiring times. Luckily (in a way) a teacher at my school had just moved from a school in the nearby city of Hanam and told us about a job there. After a bit of umming and arring and faffing around it was arranged that Sophie would take the job there and the accommodation provided and I would commute from Hanam to my job in Gwangju every morning.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This meant that Sophie would lose her 2 weeks of extra holiday to visit home that you get when you renew your contract at the same school as well as her flight home, pretty crap when you consider those benefits are worth a good few thousand pounds. But the worst thing about the whole affair was the poor communication from GEPIK and the last minute notice that we got. In Korea you get used to being told things with less than five minutes notice, but you'd think a change in policy as big as this might have been announced a little earlier! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suppose at least we still have jobs which is more than many people can say in these days of recession and other bullshit. Although given some of the problems that were to come, maybe we'd have been better off without new jobs, but that's for another post. </span>Rowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244316682200849733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-47394629600575746982011-06-10T16:41:00.627+09:002012-02-16T17:00:17.209+09:00Seoul Museums: Part 3 - War Memorial of Korea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our third museum outing in Seoul was to the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-dong. Despite being called a memorial it's really more like a museum and a huge one at that. It first opened in 1994 and it is apparently the biggest landmark of its kind in the world. The museum documents Korean military history with all kinds of artefacts on display ranging from stone arrowheads from prehistoric times to modern guns, tanks, helicopters and planes. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="File:Korea-Seoul-War Memorial of Korea-01.jpg" height="213" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Korea-Seoul-War_Memorial_of_Korea-01.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The War Memorial museum of Korea. (Photo from Wikipedia)</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is split into outdoor and indoor exhibits. The indoor exhibits are housed in 7 different exhibition halls: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f5f9eb;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The Memorial hall, The War History Room, The Korean War Room, The Expeditionary Forces Room, The Armed Forces Room, The Large Equipment Room and The Korean Defense Industries Room. These rooms all looked interesting and I've heard that the Korean Wart Room is supposed to be the best part of the museum but we only made it around a couple of them. This was because, despite Lonely Planet reckoning that its possible to see the whole Memorial in 3 hours, we only had 2 hours and I'm one of those annoying </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">people who likes to read every little scrap of information available on each exhibit. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've since visited the memorial again and still haven't seen all of it because it's just so massive so I guess I'll just write about the parts we saw this time and cover the bits we missed in a later blog post. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_nyFqXfek8/TjolLQTplRI/AAAAAAAACTU/bar_HOcG2IQ/s1600/Ipod+Pics+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_nyFqXfek8/TjolLQTplRI/AAAAAAAACTU/bar_HOcG2IQ/s320/Ipod+Pics+071.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Painted drum in entrance to museum. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started with the War History Room that covered Korea's military history from prehistoric times to the start of the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1910. There were the usual stone axes and bronze swords in the prehistoric section. It was fairly well laid out but pretty generic in my opinion. The Three Kingdoms section was more interesting. The Three Kingdoms period ran from 57 AD to 668 AD and refers to the time when Korea as a country didn't really exist yet but was in fact 3 separate kingdoms, the Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo. There were some interesting displays in this section and I particularly liked maps that traced the changing borders of the kingdoms as they fought among themselves and against other local powers for control over the Korean peninsular and parts of China. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">The Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1910) section also had some great artefacts and displays including a hwacha (a kind of early missile launcher that fired lots of arrows at the same time), a mock up of a Hwaseong (Korean castle) and a replica of one of Admiral Yi Sun-shin's turtle ships (Kobukson). There were also some dioramas of Japanese forces invading Korea, something that happened repeatedly in the 16th Century and that would happen again in 1910. According to the museum displays, Korea also frequently had to fight off Japanese pirate attacks throughout its history.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VtHuejAhRNc/TjolVN4U48I/AAAAAAAACUI/ngnNKm7cKe8/s1600/Ipod+Pics+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VtHuejAhRNc/TjolVN4U48I/AAAAAAAACUI/ngnNKm7cKe8/s320/Ipod+Pics+052.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Kobukson" or turtle ship was designed by one of Korea's favourite heroes, Admiral Sun-shin, and used by him during the Japanese invasions of Korea in the late 16th century. These ships participated in several important naval victories over the Japanese fleet and have now reached, along with the admiral, a legendary status here in South Korea. However, some boring killjoys say that the importance of these ships may have been exaggerated as there were probably never more than a dozen in service at any one time. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2d5bsPrWoG4/TjolZf8XS0I/AAAAAAAACUg/O9TZJpkIDn0/s1600/Ipod+Pics+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2d5bsPrWoG4/TjolZf8XS0I/AAAAAAAACUg/O9TZJpkIDn0/s320/Ipod+Pics+063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The turtle ships had at least 5 different types of cannon and the dragon head was a cannon too. In fact, the dragon head could also shoot flame from it's mouth - awesome! Most importantly, every ship had a fully covered deck to protect the crew from cannon fire and there were large iron spikes on it to discourage enemy forces from trying to board it. They were hardcore ships!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQqeVv9WJ_k/TjolXG144CI/AAAAAAAACUU/dxoeewtH-qE/s1600/Ipod+Pics+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQqeVv9WJ_k/TjolXG144CI/AAAAAAAACUU/dxoeewtH-qE/s320/Ipod+Pics+060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mock up of a Korean castle (hwaseong).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dTtrPIPcmg/TjolX3tsPzI/AAAAAAAACUY/SnM8-wwer6M/s1600/Ipod+Pics+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dTtrPIPcmg/TjolX3tsPzI/AAAAAAAACUY/SnM8-wwer6M/s320/Ipod+Pics+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diorama depicting the Japanese invasions of Korea that took place from 1592-1598. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_zLbwTwPPx0/TjolYj50TaI/AAAAAAAACUc/u0nEfK_pM8o/s1600/Ipod+Pics+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_zLbwTwPPx0/TjolYj50TaI/AAAAAAAACUc/u0nEfK_pM8o/s320/Ipod+Pics+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Korean civilians surrendering to invading Japanese forces.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><img height="208" src="http://www.warmemo.co.kr/eng/exhibit/intro/exhibit_img/chosun_04.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">The Hwacha ("fire vehicle") was an early anti-personnel gunpowder weapon that was unique to Korea. It could fire up to 100 steel tipped rockets or 200 flaming arrows in one shot and had a range of up to 500 yards. It was first invented in 1409 and was used extensively during the Japanese invasions of 1592-98. This was a seriously powerful weapon. During the Battle of Haengju, 3400 Koreans managed to hold off 30,000 attacking Japanese soldiers with the help of 40 hwachas. (Photo care of the War Memorial website)</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Next, we moved on to the Memorial Hall. This was lined with busts of Korean national heroes who had served various wars including the Vietnam War in which 4700 Koreans were killed</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">. I was surprised to discover that there had been South Koreans there at all, let alone that so many had died in action there. Under each bust, there was a plaque telling the hero's story, usually a rather gory one with plenty of insane acts of bravery. It was pretty awe inspiring stuff and made me glad that I'm a teacher not a soldier. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vIsC39qGFWM/TjolNL8T_SI/AAAAAAAACTg/47yHtxthIU8/s1600/Ipod+Pics+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vIsC39qGFWM/TjolNL8T_SI/AAAAAAAACTg/47yHtxthIU8/s320/Ipod+Pics+042.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Busts of Korean national heroes in the Memorial Hall.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vN9FOyHAcPc/TjolL89CtLI/AAAAAAAACTY/0t1IGmPNo8U/s1600/Ipod+Pics+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vN9FOyHAcPc/TjolL89CtLI/AAAAAAAACTY/0t1IGmPNo8U/s320/Ipod+Pics+040.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is General Lee Keun-sok, a commander of a fighter wing during the early days of the Korean War. On July 4, 1950, his plane was badly damaged and he couldn't return to base so he destroyed an enemy tank by crashing into it. He received a medal for his brave self sacrifice, posthumously of course.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9N3RXkDxH2E/TjolN9W5kfI/AAAAAAAACTk/_DUEZ2O4h5s/s1600/Ipod+Pics+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9N3RXkDxH2E/TjolN9W5kfI/AAAAAAAACTk/_DUEZ2O4h5s/s320/Ipod+Pics+043.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was 28 year old Major Kang Chae-ku. He was a company commander who saved several members of his unit by covering, with his body, a live grenade that had been dropped by a soldier during training in preparation for deployment to Vietnam in 1965. Respect to this guy, he really did take his responsibilities to his men seriously. The buck stopped with him.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n7u8ywkJCyg/TjolTR_HItI/AAAAAAAACUA/nlUBQtAhfUQ/s1600/Ipod+Pics+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n7u8ywkJCyg/TjolTR_HItI/AAAAAAAACUA/nlUBQtAhfUQ/s320/Ipod+Pics+050.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is Gunnery Sgt. Jee Deok-Chill. He was a medic dispatched to Vietnam with the 2nd Marine Brigade. On February 1st, he was hit by enemy fire while treating wounded soldiers. Although he was wounded, he managed to kill 20 enemy soldiers before being killed himself . Another posthumous medal. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Once we'd had our fill of national heroes and tales of insane bravery, we moved back towards the entrance where we found a temporary exhibition about the Cheonan. The Cheonan was a South Korean naval ship that broke in half and sank near the sea border with North Korea on 26th March 2010 with the loss of all 46 members of its crew. An international investigation team concluded that the Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo launched by a miniature North Korean submarine. Of course, this caused a lot of bad feeling between the two Koreas and made everybody very twitchy for a while as North Korea apparently has some nuclear capability.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R-DaDNxdeBQ/TjolaNKMrMI/AAAAAAAACUk/xWOjfy8DO4A/s1600/Ipod+Pics+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R-DaDNxdeBQ/TjolaNKMrMI/AAAAAAAACUk/xWOjfy8DO4A/s320/Ipod+Pics+067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cheonan exhibition used photos of the ship, its crew and the wreckage that was salvaged in the following weeks to document what happened. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RdZkeQ5NCuw/Tjola2e0snI/AAAAAAAACUo/-p5aC1qVH90/s1600/Ipod+Pics+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RdZkeQ5NCuw/Tjola2e0snI/AAAAAAAACUo/-p5aC1qVH90/s320/Ipod+Pics+068.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing photos of the "46 warriors of the Cheonan" was moving. Some of the crew looked very young and reminded me of my middle school students. South Korea still has conscription for boys so we know that most of our male students will spend a couple of years in one of the branches of the armed forces. It's depressing to think that they could end up like this.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I remember all this was kicking off just before I came to Korea and I did wonder what on earth I was letting myself in for but I have never really felt like I live in a divided country that is technically still at war (the North and the South never actually signed a peace treaty at the end of the Korean war). Sure, there have been a few national drills to practice for the potential invasion from the North but no one takes those seriously. The shelling of Yeonpeong island by North Korea in November 2010 was more serious and 2 South Korean soldiers and 2 civilians were killed. The image of smoke billowing out of shattered houses clearly shook people up here as this was the first attack on South Korean soil in decades. Even my co teachers were worried. Still everything seems quiet now so we'll see. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f5f9eb; line-height: 18px;">Next, we moved outside. The outdoor exhibition area was huge and really interesting. It had loads of </span>cool outdoor displays of military vehicles form the Korean War and from other wars too from a range of different countries. There were aeroplanes, helicopters, missiles, armoured personnel carriers (APC), tanks, trucks and boats. Even better, you could actually go inside or clamber on board most of the vehicles which was fascinating in that it gave you an idea of just how cramped and uncomfortable some of those tanks and APCs were. Of course, being able to get inside the vehicles was a big hit with the kids too as well as their gung ho dads. I think this is another example of a Korean museum focussing on making its exhibits an interactive experience just as many parts of Seodaemun Prison museum were interactive. I couldn't imagine a similar museum in London (such as the Imperial War Museum) allowing visitors to climb all over the military hardware but I certainly enjoyed the experience! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w8IUHX7-kWY/TjgJ0d_G0qI/AAAAAAAACN8/XEJXfnr5v2w/s1600/IMG_4256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w8IUHX7-kWY/TjgJ0d_G0qI/AAAAAAAACN8/XEJXfnr5v2w/s320/IMG_4256.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some kind of big tank - sorry my knowledge of military vehicles aint all that!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXTlY-1BvEk/TjgKHRh2CYI/AAAAAAAACOY/I4eyQ2M0lTM/s1600/IMG_4269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXTlY-1BvEk/TjgKHRh2CYI/AAAAAAAACOY/I4eyQ2M0lTM/s320/IMG_4269.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That big tank again - from the front this time.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CxukzRVT9pg/TjgKKIxgNpI/AAAAAAAACOc/nIdCWWan7Zg/s1600/IMG_4274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CxukzRVT9pg/TjgKKIxgNpI/AAAAAAAACOc/nIdCWWan7Zg/s320/IMG_4274.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plane</span>!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qxUuwBPXhMU/TjgKNrwXRCI/AAAAAAAACOg/qnzKJv_-h-4/s1600/IMG_4275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qxUuwBPXhMU/TjgKNrwXRCI/AAAAAAAACOg/qnzKJv_-h-4/s320/IMG_4275.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The massive B-52 Bomber. It was so huge I couldn't fit it all in one photo!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IemdIq6YCgU/TjgKQQXF9DI/AAAAAAAACOk/c9-PGqHhb9A/s1600/IMG_4276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IemdIq6YCgU/TjgKQQXF9DI/AAAAAAAACOk/c9-PGqHhb9A/s320/IMG_4276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big metal ship ahoy!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FdonucDO3DA/TjgK2rpIdLI/AAAAAAAACPU/zV9CZWCdhBY/s1600/IMG_4296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FdonucDO3DA/TjgK2rpIdLI/AAAAAAAACPU/zV9CZWCdhBY/s320/IMG_4296.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This strange looking covered speedboat is actually a North Korean semi submarine. It was used by the North when they infiltrated South Korea by sea near Busan on 3 December 1983.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UyP1SpeZAoE/TjgKShVVJTI/AAAAAAAACOo/4bUQoHBWh3I/s1600/IMG_4281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UyP1SpeZAoE/TjgKShVVJTI/AAAAAAAACOo/4bUQoHBWh3I/s320/IMG_4281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yay! More tanks and you could climb on these ones.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JRdcQJYhKTo/TjgKVbxaINI/AAAAAAAACOs/Kedq4o_ydks/s1600/IMG_4282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JRdcQJYhKTo/TjgKVbxaINI/AAAAAAAACOs/Kedq4o_ydks/s320/IMG_4282.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Driver's seat inside a tank. Not very comfortable.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fuvGdIvmBdI/TjgKcIUo6_I/AAAAAAAACO0/IKxkc_i8D_8/s1600/IMG_4286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fuvGdIvmBdI/TjgKcIUo6_I/AAAAAAAACO0/IKxkc_i8D_8/s320/IMG_4286.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The very cramped metal innards of an armored personnel carrier. I think this thing had a crew of 8 or 10 people that crowded together in there.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYwDheWxsew/TjgKi2DndaI/AAAAAAAACO8/UBLHZMFcWz8/s1600/IMG_4288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYwDheWxsew/TjgKi2DndaI/AAAAAAAACO8/UBLHZMFcWz8/s320/IMG_4288.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A U.S. Cobra helicopter. It was developed in 1967 and used by the Americans during the Vietnam War. Korea started using these helicopters in 1976. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1wDz-QSDYw/TjgKpt_eWfI/AAAAAAAACPE/K1bquXyXkpY/s1600/IMG_4291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1wDz-QSDYw/TjgKpt_eWfI/AAAAAAAACPE/K1bquXyXkpY/s320/IMG_4291.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rocket!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boWBKNkCx6E/TjgKr2LJbVI/AAAAAAAACPI/wpDIKclNV3g/s1600/IMG_4292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boWBKNkCx6E/TjgKr2LJbVI/AAAAAAAACPI/wpDIKclNV3g/s320/IMG_4292.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A phallic rocket composition. Scary but faintly ridiculous at the same time. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IfdHXPQkuq4/TjgKv8Ihz9I/AAAAAAAACPM/PABVL46e4z0/s1600/IMG_4294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IfdHXPQkuq4/TjgKv8Ihz9I/AAAAAAAACPM/PABVL46e4z0/s320/IMG_4294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Military speedboat thingy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The outdoor area also contained </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #f5f9eb;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The Korean War Monument, the massive Statue of Brothers and the Peace clock tower. And, on the left side of the museum entrance there is a monument containing all the names of the UN soldiers who were killed in the Korean War. </span></span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ShZm0QV2Gc/TjgJrdwB5bI/AAAAAAAACNw/QhbzSRv7XNM/s1600/IMG_4246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ShZm0QV2Gc/TjgJrdwB5bI/AAAAAAAACNw/QhbzSRv7XNM/s320/IMG_4246.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the huge Statue of Brothers. It is a symbol of the Korean war and depicts two Korean brothers who are both soldiers. The older on is a South Korean soldier and the younger one is from the North Korean army. They are meeting in a battlefield and expressing love, forgiveness and reconciliation according to the information next to the statue. The crack down the dome represents the division between the North and the South but also the hope for reunification.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RI_3028jjSY/TjgJtyoKgdI/AAAAAAAACN0/8aFxtDvR55A/s1600/IMG_4252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RI_3028jjSY/TjgJtyoKgdI/AAAAAAAACN0/8aFxtDvR55A/s320/IMG_4252.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of the two brothers. Wonder why the South got to be the big brother - maybe that's how they feel they stand in the relationship. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eTWThniK4qM/TjgJxZvtZ9I/AAAAAAAACN4/h6hCrZMC7VA/s1600/IMG_4255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eTWThniK4qM/TjgJxZvtZ9I/AAAAAAAACN4/h6hCrZMC7VA/s320/IMG_4255.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Statue of Brothers against the backdrop of a hazy early Spring afternoon with the usual apartment blocks rising up in the background.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_e17iIdRFyM/TjgJ599CDaI/AAAAAAAACOE/dwFE406Gk4o/s1600/IMG_4261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_e17iIdRFyM/TjgJ599CDaI/AAAAAAAACOE/dwFE406Gk4o/s320/IMG_4261.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monument depicting South Korean soldiers during the Korean War. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCNtIVrV6Dw/TjgKE7cs4fI/AAAAAAAACOU/g8jQvgWJxok/s1600/IMG_4268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCNtIVrV6Dw/TjgKE7cs4fI/AAAAAAAACOU/g8jQvgWJxok/s320/IMG_4268.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of part of the monument.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IZs225tb8KM/TjgJ_W60hKI/AAAAAAAACOM/rvmpO7YRQNQ/s1600/IMG_4265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IZs225tb8KM/TjgJ_W60hKI/AAAAAAAACOM/rvmpO7YRQNQ/s320/IMG_4265.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Korean soldiers helping a wounded colleague. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The War Memorial is a great museum and if you ever happen to be in Seoul with a few spare hours on your hands I'd definitely recommend a visit. We saw a lot of interesting stuff but we missed a lot more. We didn't get to the Korean War room which is supposed to be really fascinating. We also missed out on a mock up of some Viet Cog tunnels which would have been cool. On the weird, interactive display front, we missed the Combat Experience room and the shooting range which both sound intriguing. But they'll have to wait for another day and another post - watch this space! </span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-2102150367634632762011-06-07T16:40:00.011+09:002012-02-16T17:00:54.031+09:00Seoul Museums: Part 2 - Seodaemun Prison History Hall<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a clear, cold day in late March we visited our next museum in Seoul. This time it was the sombre, imposing Seodaemun Prison History Hall in northern Seoul near <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/05/hiking-and-eye-shopping-in-seoul.html">Inwangsan mountain</a> and Dongnimmun subway station. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This former prison stands as a symbol of the bravery of the Korean Independence activists and as a grim reminder of the cruelties committed by Colonial Japanese forces during its occupation of Korea. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7YYNFiPnik/TjgU1EtOoPI/AAAAAAAACSA/TC47REPgfbU/s1600/IMG_4144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7YYNFiPnik/TjgU1EtOoPI/AAAAAAAACSA/TC47REPgfbU/s320/IMG_4144.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the red brick buildings of Seodaemun prison against the backdrop of modern apartments buildings in Seoul.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kX8DAaVH10Q/TjgUSKFILpI/AAAAAAAACRc/ls7Y_IwbW8I/s1600/IMG_4128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kX8DAaVH10Q/TjgUSKFILpI/AAAAAAAACRc/ls7Y_IwbW8I/s320/IMG_4128.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Around half of the original red brick prison buildings have been preserved as well as the entrance gate, the wooden execution house, two watchtowers, the prison walls and the interrogation cells. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seodaemun Prison was constructed in 1907 during the time when Korea was a protectorate of Japan before it was formally annexed by Japanese forces in 1910 (Korea was occupied by Japan for 35 years from 1910 to 1945). The prison opened in 1908 under the name </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Gyeongseong Gamok with the name not changing to Seodaemun Prison until 1923. The prison was used by the Japanese to hold Korean independence activists and it could house up to 500 people. However, according to the Lonely Planet guidebook, "up to 3500 (prisoners) were packed inside during the height of the anti-Japanese protests in 1919". This of course led to the usual spread of contagious diseases caused by overcrowding and a lack of proper sanitation, which, combined with a shortage of food, torture and regular beatings led to many prisoners dying in custody. There was also no heating provided in the harsh Korean winters so many prisoners died of frostbite and hypothermia. According to Lonely Planet, around "40,000 freedom fighters passed through the entrance gate and at least 400 died or were killed inside, including Ryu Gwan-sun, an Ewha high school student , who was tortured to death in 1920." </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><img alt="File:Yu Gwan-sun.JPG" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Yu_Gwan-sun.JPG" width="179" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Ryu Gwan-sun, the famous 18 year old martyr of the Korean Independence movement. She was a Christian Korean freedom fighter and helped to organise a peaceful protest against the Japanese occupation in her province. The Japanese police shot and killed 19 people at this protest including her parents and arrested her. She was tortured to death in Seodaemun prison.(photo from Wikipedia)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6e4bTWCT0xk/TjgSutICauI/AAAAAAAACPk/9cD8oP_vDK4/s1600/IMG_4062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6e4bTWCT0xk/TjgSutICauI/AAAAAAAACPk/9cD8oP_vDK4/s320/IMG_4062.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This room was a memorial to all the Korean freedom fighters who were imprisoned at Seodaemun. The walls were covered in photos of the prisoners.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were hundreds of photos on the walls and some of the Korean prisoners looked disturbingly young. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">After the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945, the prison continued to be used by successive South Korean governments until it was finally closed in 1987. As you'd expect, there wasn't much (any) information on how the prison was used once it was in South Korean hands. I did see that the South Korean government fitted toilets in the prison once they took it over though as there hadn't been any in the whole building under the Japanese occupation.</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vzfeKhEaCC4/TjgUG3F3vII/AAAAAAAACRQ/X3xfO7tlUtQ/s1600/IMG_4120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vzfeKhEaCC4/TjgUG3F3vII/AAAAAAAACRQ/X3xfO7tlUtQ/s320/IMG_4120.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">According to this sign, the Japanese made "excrement holes" in the solitary confinement cells. An excrement hole was a "</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hole at the corner of the floor through which urine and stools were discharged"</span>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can still see the drainage outlets for these holes on the outside of the buildings. The purpose of these holes in solitary confinement was<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"> </span>to make sure that the inmate did not have any human contact as the hole meant that no cleaning was necessary.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7lESnq5c84/TjgUlW21DSI/AAAAAAAACRw/pPbI5PZWX84/s1600/IMG_4137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7lESnq5c84/TjgUlW21DSI/AAAAAAAACRw/pPbI5PZWX84/s320/IMG_4137.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On this prison building you can still see the square "excrement holes" in the walls.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">In 1992, the complex was turned into the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, a part of Independence Park and it is now an interesting though extremely graphic museum. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Walking around Seodaemun</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"> Prison History Hall was quite a weird and nightmarish experience as it contained several realistic displays of the torture that went on there using life sized manikins in period costumes as well as some of the actual torture devices used by the Japanese guards. We found it quite disturbing but the kids looking round seemed to find it entertaining - suppose that's kids for you! </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GmmvE7zn7Ac/TjgS2C_tTWI/AAAAAAAACPs/1dBuAGoeLfI/s1600/IMG_4070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GmmvE7zn7Ac/TjgS2C_tTWI/AAAAAAAACPs/1dBuAGoeLfI/s320/IMG_4070.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A manikin mocked up as a rather lazy looking Japanese prison guard. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UVIplLdMjY/TjgTD-CCloI/AAAAAAAACP8/ShVQP1pivOM/s1600/IMG_4077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UVIplLdMjY/TjgTD-CCloI/AAAAAAAACP8/ShVQP1pivOM/s320/IMG_4077.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A mock up of a prisoner being interrogated and forced to sign some kind of a confession. The displays take visitors through the journey of a Korean freedom fighter imprisoned in Seodaemun.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CDxQ5dsQ34/TjgTBNCFcWI/AAAAAAAACP4/F0O1jN3dMuc/s1600/IMG_4075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CDxQ5dsQ34/TjgTBNCFcWI/AAAAAAAACP4/F0O1jN3dMuc/s320/IMG_4075.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the interrogation, unlucky prisoners might be dragged down to the underground torture chambers where they faced horrific suffering and violence.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RfNOtNWssc8/TjgTGqJXm2I/AAAAAAAACQA/-SfJGAxCGPU/s1600/IMG_4080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RfNOtNWssc8/TjgTGqJXm2I/AAAAAAAACQA/-SfJGAxCGPU/s320/IMG_4080.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some poor manikins stoically awaiting their turn in the torture chambers. The holding cells were right next to the torture rooms so that the waiting prisoners could hear the screams of those already being tortured.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2iIAiuwUGc/TjgS5aWF4ZI/AAAAAAAACPw/RY_19vUXy9Y/s1600/IMG_4073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2iIAiuwUGc/TjgS5aWF4ZI/AAAAAAAACPw/RY_19vUXy9Y/s400/IMG_4073.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a little difficult to see in this photo as the quality is rather poor but this display depicts a Korean prisoner being hung upside down by the feet while a Japanese interrogator stands by with a kettle of water during a water torture session. I think the aim was to make the prisoner feel like they were drowning. Water boarding, Japanese style. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tHtfFqgaOko/TjgTkloM-yI/AAAAAAAACQk/tU0fGAFuub4/s1600/IMG_4097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tHtfFqgaOko/TjgTkloM-yI/AAAAAAAACQk/tU0fGAFuub4/s320/IMG_4097.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another rather imaginative form of torture used on the Korean prisoners. A prisoner would be forced to get into this wooden cage lined with long sharp nails pointing inwards. Then the guards would shake the cage.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4xzcSSD7ac0/TjgTnyh4RyI/AAAAAAAACQo/TPHpGgmAWRA/s1600/IMG_4099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4xzcSSD7ac0/TjgTnyh4RyI/AAAAAAAACQo/TPHpGgmAWRA/s320/IMG_4099.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This poor manikin had torn clothes and fake blood painted on it presumably having just been tortured before being put in this tiny underground cell. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IFSDTsA3nYQ/TjgTumvXxfI/AAAAAAAACQw/6xxCa9_GrJ0/s1600/IMG_4105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IFSDTsA3nYQ/TjgTumvXxfI/AAAAAAAACQw/6xxCa9_GrJ0/s320/IMG_4105.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These small wooden coffin shaped cupboards were another form of torture. The prisoners would be locked inside and once inside, they were unable either to stand up or sit down properly due to the shape of the box.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">One of the strangest aspects of the prison museum, for me anyway, was how interactive everything was, even the torture displays! I had a go at being locked inside one of the torture cupboards and I saw a guy being manacled to a table by his giggling children - a pretty bizarre sight! I thought this was maybe a bit of a flippant treatment of such a serious subject but I think museums are generally a lot more interactive in Korea and that's what the population like and expect so fair enough. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9t35-eqTRE/TjgTrUgesoI/AAAAAAAACQs/uQbNqcClr_E/s1600/IMG_4104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9t35-eqTRE/TjgTrUgesoI/AAAAAAAACQs/uQbNqcClr_E/s320/IMG_4104.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me locked inside one of the torture cupboards. It was an intensely unpleasant and claustrophobic experience. Just a minute in that thing was really cramped and uncomfortable. I can only imagine how agonising it must have been for long periods. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weirdest and most disquieting of all the interactive displays in the prison was the one in which the visitor got to experience the journey of a prisoner through Seodaemun, from interrogation to execution. It was in a small room with a large TV screen on one wall and a blue painted wall at the back. The TV screen showed footage of a prisoner being taken to Seodaemun Prison, interrogated, tortured, tried and finally executed with a soundtrack of patriotic cheering and shouting from the Korean resistance and the sound of marching with the odd scream thrown in where appropriate. The visitor had to stand with their back to the blue painted wall and have a picture taken of their face. This image was then superimposed onto the silhouette of the prisoner in the video. So basically, you got to watch yourself being tortured and executed in Seodaemun Prison, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">kind of!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r9AToh_cN6A/TjgTRP7SWhI/AAAAAAAACQM/z0yfqiDGCUQ/s1600/IMG_4086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r9AToh_cN6A/TjgTRP7SWhI/AAAAAAAACQM/z0yfqiDGCUQ/s320/IMG_4086.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The little girl standing in the blue corner is having a picture taken of her face, the first step of the experience. Note the cheerful expression of the girl in the foreground. The kids loved this thing! Execution has never been so much fun.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lucGGlpyJUE/TjgTUNlk4mI/AAAAAAAACQQ/omFt9NR9DRc/s1600/IMG_4088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lucGGlpyJUE/TjgTUNlk4mI/AAAAAAAACQQ/omFt9NR9DRc/s320/IMG_4088.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">The footage of the prisoner being marched away amid lots of patriotic shouting on the soundtrack. The little girl's face is superimposed in black and white onto the prisoners face..</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XIxTHGu2L6k/TjgTXVs93-I/AAAAAAAACQU/8E1xyNJY8jA/s1600/IMG_4089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XIxTHGu2L6k/TjgTXVs93-I/AAAAAAAACQU/8E1xyNJY8jA/s320/IMG_4089.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next comes the interrogation stage.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8f25JOZLvR4/TjgTaSIv7CI/AAAAAAAACQY/-1jlOCMq5Go/s1600/IMG_4091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8f25JOZLvR4/TjgTaSIv7CI/AAAAAAAACQY/-1jlOCMq5Go/s320/IMG_4091.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the water torture.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z4nJGpcEcE/TjgTgaIxzqI/AAAAAAAACQg/Mk_kF-e-zng/s1600/IMG_4094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z4nJGpcEcE/TjgTgaIxzqI/AAAAAAAACQg/Mk_kF-e-zng/s320/IMG_4094.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">This is me being marched away to the execution site.</span> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwvag64056Ukl1KgqpmJ_CpqVzwYZz7qygb3aSECg8jGsM6qtD1QSRblFTnbUsKwACTBBbu0l2ummc_PV7qGg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a short clip of 'me' being interrogated and tortured in Seodaemun Prison.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">After all the fun and games of the torture chambers, we had a look round some of the old prison buildings. They included a Leper house, a security block and several original cell blocks. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gXn8vC8vjio/TjgTx7dZNUI/AAAAAAAACQ0/Rnp69Vr5jZw/s1600/IMG_4106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gXn8vC8vjio/TjgTx7dZNUI/AAAAAAAACQ0/Rnp69Vr5jZw/s320/IMG_4106.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The red brick prison buildings draped with the South Korean flag.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZz2o9ngz7k/TjgT7Aro3dI/AAAAAAAACRA/93kk07r85Nc/s1600/IMG_4112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZz2o9ngz7k/TjgT7Aro3dI/AAAAAAAACRA/93kk07r85Nc/s320/IMG_4112.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside one of the prison cell blocks. A manikin guard stands watch overhead.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rda0bDzlJo8/TjgT9keLHsI/AAAAAAAACRE/-w7jEK3ssD8/s1600/IMG_4115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rda0bDzlJo8/TjgT9keLHsI/AAAAAAAACRE/-w7jEK3ssD8/s320/IMG_4115.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The majority of the prisoners were kept in these rooms, often in terribly overcrowded conditions. You can still see the square 'excrement hole' in the back wall.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eb-5-Sp3JfY/TjgUDGzep0I/AAAAAAAACRM/Yfv-g72tjUc/s1600/IMG_4118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eb-5-Sp3JfY/TjgUDGzep0I/AAAAAAAACRM/Yfv-g72tjUc/s320/IMG_4118.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A manikin prisoner in the thin summer uniform tries to communicate with inmates in the next cell by tapping.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XtWN0B5NJA/TjgUN9Nrm9I/AAAAAAAACRY/qwsFRtxF2U4/s1600/IMG_4124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XtWN0B5NJA/TjgUN9Nrm9I/AAAAAAAACRY/qwsFRtxF2U4/s320/IMG_4124.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf2MNzJBP5k/TjgUKRyQfdI/AAAAAAAACRU/GL4yWQyu_Gk/s1600/IMG_4121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf2MNzJBP5k/TjgUKRyQfdI/AAAAAAAACRU/GL4yWQyu_Gk/s320/IMG_4121.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above you can see the 'paetong', a piece of wood that the prisoners could push from inside their cell that, when hanging down, alerted the guard to an emergency in the cell.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">After a look around the prison buildings, we wandered around the grounds and saw the memorial to the 90 or so names of people that are known to have died in Seodaemun. Many more than that died but these are the only known names. We also saw the original guard towers, prison walls and the execution building. Visitors were not allowed to take photos of the wooden execution building to respect the people who died there.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4S5W6VlmWv4/TjgUa9Z39ZI/AAAAAAAACRk/60G97Yn2MwQ/s1600/IMG_4132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4S5W6VlmWv4/TjgUa9Z39ZI/AAAAAAAACRk/60G97Yn2MwQ/s320/IMG_4132.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A memorial to the people who died in custody at Seodaemun prison. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zV5-ny-0amQ/TjgUhhAUEfI/AAAAAAAACRs/u-eypF6jJL8/s1600/IMG_4136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zV5-ny-0amQ/TjgUhhAUEfI/AAAAAAAACRs/u-eypF6jJL8/s320/IMG_4136.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The prison walls and one of the old guard towers.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hNYYJh7kACE/TjgUolnKU7I/AAAAAAAACR0/R3CbChMEBn0/s1600/IMG_4138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hNYYJh7kACE/TjgUolnKU7I/AAAAAAAACR0/R3CbChMEBn0/s320/IMG_4138.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The corpse removal exit that was used to take the bodies away after execution. Apparently, this passage was made by the Japanese to slip the corpses out secretly and it wasn't discovered until 1992.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5m3f6cyvjq0/TjgUwm-Ea4I/AAAAAAAACR8/BH5PnOP03EY/s1600/IMG_4143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5m3f6cyvjq0/TjgUwm-Ea4I/AAAAAAAACR8/BH5PnOP03EY/s320/IMG_4143.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a rather mysterious looking building wasn't standing anymore when we visited the museum. According to the sign it was the 'playground' of the prisoners.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYacVcBce4o/TjgU4maYRoI/AAAAAAAACSE/NPoV5MZn73Y/s1600/IMG_4146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYacVcBce4o/TjgU4maYRoI/AAAAAAAACSE/NPoV5MZn73Y/s320/IMG_4146.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This tree is known as the "wailing popular" and it was planted in 1923 right next to the execution building. According to the sign next to the tree, it was aid that 'patriots in the course of being dragged to the execution hall grabbed this tree and wailed with deep resentment for their unachieved independence'.</span></span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-83503961035682284122011-06-04T16:20:00.007+09:002012-02-16T17:01:22.856+09:00Seoul Museums: Part 1 - National Museum of Korea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over several rather chilly weekends in March and early April we visited three of Seoul's major museums. We hadn't really looked at any of Seoul's museums up until this point despite having been in Korea for 10 months or more as we'd decided to save them up as a fun activity to do in the bitterly cold winter months. Obviously we must have got a bit distracted as we didn't make it until the very end of Winter/ beginning of Spring but, hey, the best laid plans and all that...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first museum we visited was the National Museum of Korea which houses an astonishing number of important artefacts and relics (over 220,00 according to Wikipedia) that tell the story of Korea's history. It's a huge, beautiful building and very new, having only opened in 2005 after 8 years of construction. Apparently, it's the sixth biggest museum in the world and according to Wikipedia "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">the main building was built to withstand a magnitude 6.0 Richter Scale earthquake" though Korea thankfully doesn't get too many of those (most quakes here are well below 3.0 and pass unnoticed just like back home in England). </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="File:National Museum of Korea.jpg" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/National_Museum_of_Korea.jpg/800px-National_Museum_of_Korea.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outside the National Museum of Korea (from Wikipedia). </span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="File:National Museum of Korea layout001.jpg" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/National_Museum_of_Korea_layout001.jpg/449px-National_Museum_of_Korea_layout001.jpg" width="239" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exhibition Hall of the National Museum of Korea </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(from Wikipedia)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bQVw5Vaf3u4/TjgX1-rXWuI/AAAAAAAACSc/npbIcopsljs/s1600/IMG_3751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bQVw5Vaf3u4/TjgX1-rXWuI/AAAAAAAACSc/npbIcopsljs/s320/IMG_3751.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The museum also has extensive and very pretty grounds containing collections of pagodas and lanterns and a large pond. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">In fact, the museum was so huge that we only managed to look around the 1st floor on our visit so we need to go back at some point. The 1st floor was very interesting though. It contains the "Archaeological Gallery" and the "Historical Gallery" and contains all sorts of national treasures (all numbered and ranked of course!) that span thousands of years including stone hand axes, Buddhist pagodas and royal artefacts. In the historical gallery, there was a different room for each of the main periods form the the Unified Silla (7th Century AD) through to the Joseon Dynasty (ended in the 20th Century). We didn't make it to the 2nd and 3rd floors but apparently they contain art galleries and sculpture displays of Korean and Asian works. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-ftb1kTcTc/TjgXgt_c0wI/AAAAAAAACSI/45SCNenfO8c/s1600/IMG_3740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p-ftb1kTcTc/TjgXgt_c0wI/AAAAAAAACSI/45SCNenfO8c/s320/IMG_3740.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Ten-Story Pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple, National Treasure of Korea No. 86 (I love those National Treasure numbers!). It was made in 1348, making it over 600 years old.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t_Q10l3u28U/TjgXnnoU45I/AAAAAAAACSQ/WW_6udCsg_Y/s1600/IMG_3743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t_Q10l3u28U/TjgXnnoU45I/AAAAAAAACSQ/WW_6udCsg_Y/s320/IMG_3743.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Buddhist stone stele featuring the body of a turtle. According to Wikipedia, these are usually erected for funerals or commemorative purposes and have the names of those to be remembered inscribed on the vertical slab.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe0E8NEhbJ8/TjgXrjMWpzI/AAAAAAAACSU/KQvonEFLuOE/s1600/IMG_3745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe0E8NEhbJ8/TjgXrjMWpzI/AAAAAAAACSU/KQvonEFLuOE/s320/IMG_3745.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Detail of the stele. The body is definitely a turtle but not sure what the head is supposed to be!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would definitely recommend a visit to this museum as it's nicely laid out and contains lots of interesting exhibits, most of which are well labelled in English. I imagine the gardens would be a nice relaxing place to hang out when the weather is warmer too. I hope we'll make it back for a second visit at some point so we can advance beyond the first floor!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next museum we visited was the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, a much more sombre and depressing place but I think even more interesting than this museum. Check out the next post about Seodaemun <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2011/06/seoul-museums-part-2-seodaemun-prison.html">here </a>if you're interested.</span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458300885332287456.post-50301411293892945952011-05-31T22:42:00.002+09:002012-02-16T17:01:52.581+09:00Hiking and "Eye Shopping" in Seoul - Inwangsan and Insadong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the first Sunday of April we decided to take a little hiking trip to Seoul. It was a pretty mild day considering how early in the year </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it was still </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(it takes a long time for Winter to recede here in South Korea and the comfortable, pretty Spring season is unfortunately way too short). There are a lot of mountains to hike in Seoul just as there are in the rest of the country (hiking is one of the great Korean passions) but the main place that people visit to get their hiking fix is Bukhansan National Park on the Northern edge of Seoul. We, however, decided to avoid the hordes of tourists and walking-pole wielding, visor-clad ajummas (older married Korean woman) by going to a much quieter (and smaller) mountain called Inwangsan to see the Shamanist shrine, part of the old Seoul Fortress Wall and small Buddhist temples there.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img height="240" src="http://photos.travellerspoint.com/139487/33.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darth Vader-esque ajumma visor - you gotta love 'em.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Inwangsan is a relatively small mountain at only 338 meters high but it's very distinctive looking with it's many giant granite peaks and makes for a nice backdrop to downtown Seoul. Apparently, the name Inwangsan means "Benevolent King Mountain" in Korean and long ago, in the days of the Joseon Dynasty (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1392 -1910), it was referred to as "White Tiger Mountain" due to the large number of tigers that used to live there.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Sadly, the tigers have long since disappeared from Inwangsan as they have from the rest of South Korea, though there are reportedly some wild Siberian tigers still roaming about in North Korea. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img height="400" src="http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/tigerkoreamap.jpg" width="226" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Siberian Tigers, known in Korea as Korean Tigers or Mount Baekju Tigers, used to roam wild throughout the whole of Korea (North and South) and were (and still are) an important part of Korean culture and mythology. However, because the tigers were known to attack both livestock and humans, the government during the Joseon Dynasty</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the Japanese Occupation </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">set about systematically eliminating the tiger population in Korea. That, combined with loss of habitat, led to the last wild tigers being sighted in South Korea in the 1920's or 1940's.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img height="400" src="http://joongangdaily.joins.com/_data/photo/2009/06/15230547.jpg" width="280" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tigers regularly appeared in Korean mythology and folktales as a fearsome but powerful spirit. They were revered as people thought they could fend off evil spirits but they were also a real threat to villagers and miners in rural Korea and there are many records of deadly tiger attacks in Korea from the 10th to the early 20th century. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(See this interesting article for more information on the relationship between Korea and it's tigers - </span><a href="http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2906165">http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2906165</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took the long subway journey to Dongnimmun Station up in the northern part of Seoul and then headed out exit 2 t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">o get to the mountain. With our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook in hand we set about trying to follow the directions up to Inwangsan. It was a little difficult finding the trail as we had to walk through a load of shops and towering new apartment blocks to find it but we made it there eventually. We knew we'd found the right place because we saw the brightly coloured temple gateway at the base of the steep path up the small mountain as promised in the guidebook.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fvIKymCE2bA/TiWNlZ_jyCI/AAAAAAAACJc/PlNMt-yN76M/s1600/IMG_4301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fvIKymCE2bA/TiWNlZ_jyCI/AAAAAAAACJc/PlNMt-yN76M/s320/IMG_4301.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The colourful temple gateway at the foot of Inwangsan Mountain. That road was STEEP! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing we encountered on our way up the mountain was a rather idiosyncratic village populated with old wooden houses with the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">traditional</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sloped roofs and small Buddhist temples with brightly painted murals of birds and flowers. It was strange to stand there in this quiet and peaceful village listening to the temple wind chimes clinking and the occasional dog barking when we were still so close to the hustle of modern Seoul. In fact, as it was still early in the year there were no leaves on the trees so we could actually see the massive concrete apartment blocks rising up around the mountain down below. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JT5hspAptGs/TiWNy1STTjI/AAAAAAAACJw/l1htGYo6Cq0/s1600/IMG_4317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JT5hspAptGs/TiWNy1STTjI/AAAAAAAACJw/l1htGYo6Cq0/s320/IMG_4317.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climbing the steps through the quiet little village.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-REcAY-9rRtY/TiWNwT_L_0I/AAAAAAAACJs/au6oym-mYCI/s1600/IMG_4316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-REcAY-9rRtY/TiWNwT_L_0I/AAAAAAAACJs/au6oym-mYCI/s320/IMG_4316.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were many beautiful paintings of birds and flowers on the walls of the buildings in the village.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ly3UAyWtOW4/TiWOKInUHxI/AAAAAAAACKY/9Fg-HhE3D3A/s1600/IMG_4330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ly3UAyWtOW4/TiWOKInUHxI/AAAAAAAACKY/9Fg-HhE3D3A/s320/IMG_4330.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking out over the traditional sloped roofs with the Bongwonsa temple in the background.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xwR-rWqY8Kc/TiWNoVQpJOI/AAAAAAAACJg/YhgPf1ugN-g/s1600/IMG_4309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xwR-rWqY8Kc/TiWNoVQpJOI/AAAAAAAACJg/YhgPf1ugN-g/s320/IMG_4309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But all around this quiet hillside village were the towering concrete apartment blocks of modern Seoul.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nIvaTqckOQ/TiWOHXwKEhI/AAAAAAAACKU/KyCI95Ld6s4/s1600/IMG_4329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nIvaTqckOQ/TiWOHXwKEhI/AAAAAAAACKU/KyCI95Ld6s4/s320/IMG_4329.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the close proximity of modern hustle and bustle the village still retained a unique atmosphere of life lived at a slower, more peaceful pace. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--liI589rzIo/TiWN9kztkDI/AAAAAAAACKE/CXLLA5cpLPU/s1600/IMG_4325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--liI589rzIo/TiWN9kztkDI/AAAAAAAACKE/CXLLA5cpLPU/s320/IMG_4325.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A path winding up through the village.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-13trwYO2VhE/TiWOWWcFjXI/AAAAAAAACKo/c_AEBQxXhk4/s1600/IMG_4341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-13trwYO2VhE/TiWOWWcFjXI/AAAAAAAACKo/c_AEBQxXhk4/s320/IMG_4341.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The village convenience store with the usual plastic chairs outside so you can enjoy a drink or a snack al fresco - much cheaper than a pint down the pub!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We carried on up the path to the bell pavilion that marked the entrance to the biggest temple on Inwangsan called Bongwonsa. There were colourful paintings on the entrance gate doors that according to the Lonely Planet Guidebook "depict the guardian kings of heaven who protect Buddhists from evil and harm". They were some pretty funny looking guardian kings but they had massive swords so I wouldn't have messed with them! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NXrEfQtMR6s/TiWORZmDmvI/AAAAAAAACKg/MEWA5mnr-_I/s1600/IMG_4334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NXrEfQtMR6s/TiWORZmDmvI/AAAAAAAACKg/MEWA5mnr-_I/s320/IMG_4334.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bongwonsa Temple and the bell pavilion. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jK-Xrkb6Jl8/TiWOUXK5CXI/AAAAAAAACKk/aRy2z_MPA8Y/s1600/IMG_4338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jK-Xrkb6Jl8/TiWOUXK5CXI/AAAAAAAACKk/aRy2z_MPA8Y/s320/IMG_4338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of the pretty bell pavilion. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qrUDscDm3zE/TiWOlhQxo9I/AAAAAAAACLA/pUXDfbUbiME/s1600/IMG_4350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qrUDscDm3zE/TiWOlhQxo9I/AAAAAAAACLA/pUXDfbUbiME/s320/IMG_4350.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entrance gate to Bongwonsa temple with the paintings of the heavenly guardians.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l3bnTdTJsOE/TiWQue5wvaI/AAAAAAAACLI/kqi6Uf5KJuE/s1600/IMG_4352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l3bnTdTJsOE/TiWQue5wvaI/AAAAAAAACLI/kqi6Uf5KJuE/s320/IMG_4352.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of one of the heavenly guardians from the Bongwonsa entrance gates. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMEG6Y_x5DM/TiWOjGx0SZI/AAAAAAAACK8/9ImnKcROo34/s1600/IMG_4348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMEG6Y_x5DM/TiWOjGx0SZI/AAAAAAAACK8/9ImnKcROo34/s320/IMG_4348.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buddhist statue in front of the temple. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further up the rocky hillside we saw Guksadang, Seoul's most famous Shamanist shrine. Origonally, Guksadang was built on a different mountain in Seoul called Namsan but it was destroyed by the Japanese in 1925 during the occupation so Korean shamanists secretly rebuilt it here on Inwangsan. There was some kind of ceremony going on in there when we wandered by. I could hear an old woman singing/chanting and drums being played. I really wanted to stick my head in and see what was going on but felt it would have been rude so just contented my self with listening form the outside and looking at the diverse array of food and drink that had been left as offerings for the dead (according to Lonely Planet, Korean Shamanists "believe that the dead still need food and drink"). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img height="212" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e294/elisabeth_w/Travel%20day/Thursday%20Seoul/DSC_0020Guksadang.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The small but interesting Guksadang Shamanist shrine (from <a href="http://aweekinseoul.wordpress.com/">http://aweekinseoul.wordpress.com</a> - I couldn't get a picture myself as it felt rude to photograph while people were praying). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nk6DAXxKGww/TiWRuJZBKvI/AAAAAAAACMg/1JWmxU2l9SQ/s1600/IMG_4416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nk6DAXxKGww/TiWRuJZBKvI/AAAAAAAACMg/1JWmxU2l9SQ/s320/IMG_4416.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some rather odd offerings for the dead outside Guksadang Shrine - 3 bottles of Makgeolli (Korean rice wine) one bottle of unknown contents but also possibly makgeolli and a plate of...something once edible? Just cos you're dead doesn't mean you can't party!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_5iAPACZMX4/TiWQ38HwiHI/AAAAAAAACLU/nOvjLe_XLxA/s1600/IMG_4356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_5iAPACZMX4/TiWQ38HwiHI/AAAAAAAACLU/nOvjLe_XLxA/s320/IMG_4356.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were piles of green glass soju bottles and crates of empty makgeolli bottles stacked round the back of the temple area - not sure if they were old offerings to the dead or the traces of the many hikers who had passed this way (it's usual for Korean hikers to imbibe some liquor, usually makgeolli when they get to the top of the mountain). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We climbed up more stairs and came to the strange, heavily eroded rocks called the Seonbawi or Zen Rocks. The Lonely Planet book contends that these rocks look like "two hooded monks" though I wasn't so sure! Apparently, women still come to an altar in front of the Seonbawi to pray for the birth of a son. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCe9eP66KVM/TiWQ_vi9nSI/AAAAAAAACLg/qlXVtwCuflE/s1600/IMG_4370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCe9eP66KVM/TiWQ_vi9nSI/AAAAAAAACLg/qlXVtwCuflE/s320/IMG_4370.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The steps up to the Zen Rocks (Seonbawi).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ofXBEF1KN78/TiWRJ9DdA_I/AAAAAAAACLw/bvuUZ-e-YCo/s1600/IMG_4379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ofXBEF1KN78/TiWRJ9DdA_I/AAAAAAAACLw/bvuUZ-e-YCo/s320/IMG_4379.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An old man cleaning the area by the altar in front of the Seonbawi.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After spending some time admiring the Zen Rocks we wandered a little further up the hillside past more eroded rocks and natural springs. People had left more food offerings, candles and incense sticks in front of crevices in the rocks on the way up. After climbing up some rough steps for about 15 minutes or so we reached an outdoor altar with a small Buddha carving on the rock face. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-EOjb022vo/TiWRURqpc0I/AAAAAAAACL8/MfVaUmE5SFc/s1600/IMG_4387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-EOjb022vo/TiWRURqpc0I/AAAAAAAACL8/MfVaUmE5SFc/s320/IMG_4387.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A carving of a Buddha in the mountainside with a small altar in front.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We carried on up the hillside a little further to take a look at the restored Seoul Fortress Wall that surrounds Inwangsan Mountain and got some really nice panoramic views over Seoul. We saw some braver hikers climbing right up the grey granite boulders but we weren't that energetic or that brave! </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44lDyoenih4/TiWRDMmIGNI/AAAAAAAACLk/UKH4rSybj-Q/s1600/IMG_4371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44lDyoenih4/TiWRDMmIGNI/AAAAAAAACLk/UKH4rSybj-Q/s320/IMG_4371.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">View of the village and Seoul from further up the mountain near the Seonbawi rocks.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfDF8o_NW00/TiWRrfEOP5I/AAAAAAAACMc/y7o3DXg17bk/s1600/IMG_4412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YfDF8o_NW00/TiWRrfEOP5I/AAAAAAAACMc/y7o3DXg17bk/s320/IMG_4412.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The restored Seoul Fortress Wall that runs around Inwangsan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8EvLO_mIK4/TiWOodgkUCI/AAAAAAAACLE/XHGljMBtmfk/s1600/IMG_4351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8EvLO_mIK4/TiWOodgkUCI/AAAAAAAACLE/XHGljMBtmfk/s320/IMG_4351.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can clearly see Seoul Tower on Namsan mountain from Inwangsan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pxe6UJPmXPE/TiWRNtZdYgI/AAAAAAAACL0/jZyEvsMd4iA/s1600/IMG_4383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pxe6UJPmXPE/TiWRNtZdYgI/AAAAAAAACL0/jZyEvsMd4iA/s320/IMG_4383.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hikers sitting on up on the granite slopes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HyZXuhcuVU8/TiWRolX4yfI/AAAAAAAACMY/K1ZOCoCd3tE/s1600/IMG_4410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HyZXuhcuVU8/TiWRolX4yfI/AAAAAAAACMY/K1ZOCoCd3tE/s320/IMG_4410.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a little early in the year still for there to be many leaves on the trees so everything was a bit grey and bare looking. These trees (not sure what they are) added a welcome splash of colour.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GAHG_Gs1dIw/TiWRa0vUhBI/AAAAAAAACME/ThIZCqWx-ZQ/s1600/IMG_4391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GAHG_Gs1dIw/TiWRa0vUhBI/AAAAAAAACME/ThIZCqWx-ZQ/s320/IMG_4391.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the giant boulder peaks on the top of Inwangsan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qezo_BaK3F8/TiWReC60VeI/AAAAAAAACMI/QE9WPG7TZ0U/s1600/IMG_4402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qezo_BaK3F8/TiWReC60VeI/AAAAAAAACMI/QE9WPG7TZ0U/s320/IMG_4402.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of the same peak. Look closely and you can see a guy standing on the top of the left one.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZsyozUm-R0/TiWRgjbTNCI/AAAAAAAACMM/FdRdqSSCnks/s1600/IMG_4403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZsyozUm-R0/TiWRgjbTNCI/AAAAAAAACMM/FdRdqSSCnks/s320/IMG_4403.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close up of the guy and his girlfriend standing on top of the rather loose looking boulder - I admired their bravery but didn't feel like following their example!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPJaI95Y3iA/TiWRlTwwPcI/AAAAAAAACMU/1lAikYvKTDA/s1600/IMG_4407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPJaI95Y3iA/TiWRlTwwPcI/AAAAAAAACMU/1lAikYvKTDA/s320/IMG_4407.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rowan trying to freak me out by standing on one leg on the rocky slopes of Inwangsan. It was a long way down.</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After spending some time sitting on a rocky ledge and enjoying the views we made our way back down the mountain to the subway station. If you have the time and the inclination you can follow another path that takes you up on the other side of the fortress wall right to the top of Inwangsan but we decided to take the subway to nearby Insadong instead. Insadong district is the cultural heart of Seoul and still retains a traditional, relaxed atmosphere. It has lots of galleries, craft shops and pretty little tea shops and the main street is pedestrianised so it is one of the few places in Korea where you don't have to worry about being run over all the time! Because of the atmosphere and the car free streets it's a really nice area just to walk around, do a little souvenir shopping or just people watch. There are lots of interesting antiques and old trinkets for sale too which are fun to have a look at. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eifXQbOltm0/TiWRv34dLGI/AAAAAAAACMk/zg4_g4plSrA/s1600/IMG_4418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eifXQbOltm0/TiWRv34dLGI/AAAAAAAACMk/zg4_g4plSrA/s320/IMG_4418.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main streets of the Insadong are pedestrianised which is a nice change from the usual mayhem of scooters and cars driving crazily all over the place, including on the pavements.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyzxAeay44w/TiWR1mMLaFI/AAAAAAAACMw/0rH9REm4b38/s1600/IMG_4427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyzxAeay44w/TiWR1mMLaFI/AAAAAAAACMw/0rH9REm4b38/s320/IMG_4427.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Browsing the book stalls in Insadong.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i0I6MAnvUlA/TiWR4SUNDmI/AAAAAAAACM0/RpVgxdWEkv0/s1600/IMG_4429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i0I6MAnvUlA/TiWR4SUNDmI/AAAAAAAACM0/RpVgxdWEkv0/s320/IMG_4429.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some old guys playing games (possibly Chinese chess) in the street. I hope they're not gambling - it's illegal for Koreans to gamble here and casinos are only open to foreigners.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFdym9kba_g/TiWR9MX4dhI/AAAAAAAACM8/o6YsbRABDQk/s1600/IMG_4433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFdym9kba_g/TiWR9MX4dhI/AAAAAAAACM8/o6YsbRABDQk/s320/IMG_4433.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many traditional craft shops like this one in Insadong. I think this one is selling calligraphy tools.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBEIh0sLin0/TiWR_d--HuI/AAAAAAAACNA/c6XUko9mhFk/s1600/IMG_4434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZBEIh0sLin0/TiWR_d--HuI/AAAAAAAACNA/c6XUko9mhFk/s320/IMG_4434.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some really old books written in Chinese characters for sale in Insadong. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WTDacKEXtrE/TiWSBlHvL7I/AAAAAAAACNE/k5-ifAAfvEQ/s1600/IMG_4435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WTDacKEXtrE/TiWSBlHvL7I/AAAAAAAACNE/k5-ifAAfvEQ/s320/IMG_4435.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Antiques shops lining the street with their wares.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOq-urmnTTY/TiWSEB4iw_I/AAAAAAAACNI/3ql1gXdDWvc/s1600/IMG_4439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOq-urmnTTY/TiWSEB4iw_I/AAAAAAAACNI/3ql1gXdDWvc/s320/IMG_4439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a fun stall that sold all kinds of handmade wooden toys. We bought a wooden rifle with giant elastic bands for ammo and a bow and arrow set. Should be fun getting that back through customs!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2pLaQM-hsc/TiWSK-ddi3I/AAAAAAAACNU/6ij5GVnOCRA/s1600/IMG_4443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2pLaQM-hsc/TiWSK-ddi3I/AAAAAAAACNU/6ij5GVnOCRA/s320/IMG_4443.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was some beautiful antique furniture for sale in Insadong. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hS09V04j6GA/TiWSQLYSkkI/AAAAAAAACNc/dQIlqI3on98/s1600/IMG_4446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hS09V04j6GA/TiWSQLYSkkI/AAAAAAAACNc/dQIlqI3on98/s320/IMG_4446.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ubiquitous Turkish ice cream man. We seem to see them everywhere in Asia, well we've seen them in Korea and Thailand at any rate! The ice cream is a bit of an odd consistency, kind of elasticy but it tastes good and the guys do a funny sleight of hand routine with their long metal ice cream spatulas which always draws a crowd.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After spending some time wandering around Insadong we stopped off at a nicely decorated little Indian restaurant for some dinner. It was pretty tasty though of course not as good as the Indian food at the Cafe Baghdad in Jeju City that we visited <a href="http://bloodriceandnoodles.blogspot.com/2010/09/summer-vacation-day-10-16-jeju-island.html">last year</a>. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eQavYoQUP0g/TiWSSb2W9dI/AAAAAAAACNg/yxchm1SVc8k/s1600/IMG_4447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eQavYoQUP0g/TiWSSb2W9dI/AAAAAAAACNg/yxchm1SVc8k/s320/IMG_4447.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The front of the Little India restaurant. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NFhn2NZbGkI/TiWSXebtMsI/AAAAAAAACNo/WsWZlimyrWA/s1600/IMG_4453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NFhn2NZbGkI/TiWSXebtMsI/AAAAAAAACNo/WsWZlimyrWA/s320/IMG_4453.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was nicely decorated inside the restaurant and they actually had some music playing which is unusual for a restaurant in Korea.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e81OGCuSSww/TiWSZWx5NcI/AAAAAAAACNs/peUD8mjXuYw/s1600/IMG_4455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e81OGCuSSww/TiWSZWx5NcI/AAAAAAAACNs/peUD8mjXuYw/s320/IMG_4455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mmm, samosas!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, a very nice, chilled day out in Seoul. If you ever get the chance to visit Inwangsan I would very much recommend it as an interesting comparison to the usual concrete and neon face of Seoul. </span></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394205649091090063noreply@blogger.com5