Kota Kinabalu

When Zach and I first learned his next duty station was Korea, I was immediately excited about all the travel opportunities we were going to have while living here.  My list of places to visit is endless, and I know we won’t make it to all of them with already 6 months of our 2 years here gone.  Since our easy bake oven would never fit a turkey, and Zach’s boss already claimed Christmas to go on vacation, we decided that Thanksgiving would be a good opportunity to take our first big trip. Initially, we had our sights set on the Philippines, but Uncle Sam doesn’t allow soldiers to travel to the area that we were interested in going. So I started asking around for ideas, and a friend of mine suggested Kota Kinabalu.  I’ll be honest, I had never heard of KK until my friend mentioned it, and if I’m being real honest, Malaysia wasn’t high on the list of places to travel to while we were here.   But after doing some research, Zach and I were both sold on going for our Thanksgiving holiday:  it is a direct flight from Korea, there was a brand new Marriott right on the water, there were tons of things to do and see, and it was well below our budget for the trip.  SOLD!

I highly recommend a trip to KK. Its a very popular vacation destination for the Chinese, Filipinos, and Koreans, and after going I can understand why.  The air is clear, the water is beautiful, and the landscape is breathtaking.  I’m not sure if this is true or not, and I really hope its not, but I’ve been told that KK is not a popular destination for westerners because 80% of the population practices Islam.  And I will tell you, the entire time there I felt completely underdressed compared to the majority of the women there, and tourist women definitely stuck out like a sore thumb.  There were several mosques throughout the city that were absolutely gorgeous and prayers were broadcasts on a loudspeaker throughout the city throughout the day.  It was lovely to see their dedication to their religion and it was really neat to learn and experience something new.  It was also interesting that pretty much everyone there speaks English, because the island at one point was a British colony.  The main language is Malayan, but most everyone speaks a little English and so it was super easy to get around and explore.

The US dollar goes a lonnnngggg way in KK.  When I booked our Marriott, I was surprised with how inexpensive it was, and then upon arriving, I was blown away with how inexpensive it was.  Zach and I were treated like royalty, and enjoyed an open bar every night, view overlooking the China Sea, and some of the best service we have ever gotten at a hotel.  We took a taxi to the wharf to go snorkeling and it costs less then a dollar for a 10 minute cab ride.  Needless to say, we felt like we were making it rain while we were there! haha.  We converted $200 to the local currency and didn’t come close to spending it all in 5 days.  So much bang for your buck.

 

 

 

Within walking distance on either side of our hotel were several open markets and shopping malls.  KK has a huge farmers market every Sunday, so unfortunately we didn’t get to witness that, but the street markets that were open every day were quite impressive.  You could buy anything from local fruits and vegetables, handmade jewelry and crafts, and there were also men that sat every few feet with sewing machines, where the locals come to get things made or altered.  It was incredible to see the detail they put in their work and how talented they were.   Had I known this was a thing, I probably would have had a dress made while we were there.  The other funny thing we noticed roaming through the streets of KK is that KFC is VERY popular there.  There is literally a KFC on every corner, or so it seems, and when we were driving out of the city, there were signs that would tell you how far you were from the nearest KFC.  Seriously.  They love that chicken apparently.

We didn’t go to a KFC (but I will admit we ate at a Hard Rock Café so I could have nachos!), we did eat at one of the night markets.  Zach got to pick out his snapper from the counter and they cooked it right there for him.  It was pretty incredible.  I will say, Malaysian food is not my favorite.  Don’t get me wrong, its not awful by any means, its very standard Asian cuisine, heavy in noodle and rice dishes, but I just didn’t think the food had as much flavor.  Every where you go, each table had a set of 4 different sauces, and I definitely was thankful for those sauces, otherwise the meals would have been pretty bland.  Our meal at the market, which consisted of the fresh fish, local chicken, and 2 beverages costs us a total of $11.  That’s it.  So though I’m not dying to go back for the food, I will happily pay 11 bucks for the both of us to eat dinner any day.

 

 

 

We booked two tours to do while we were there, and if you haven’t heard of Viator.com, I highly recommend checking them out.  I was able to book both tours before hand with local companies, and for a reasonable price, they picked us up at the hotel, took us on our excursion, and then brought us back to the hotel.  Viator works all around the world, and it is a great way to see what activities are available where you live or are traveling too.  Our first tour took us to Mt.  Kinabalu, which is a good 2 hour drive from KK.  We were the only ones booked for the tour that day, so it was a private tour with one of the locals who was born and raised not too far from KK.  Initially, we had hopes of hiking Mt. Kinabalu, but they only allow 120 people to hike per day and you have to book it months in advanced. So instead, we opted to explore the rainforest at its base and hoped to see the world’s largest flower while we were there.  Our tour guide was phenomenal, and we had the opportunity to check out the mountain from various view points, wonder through the rainforest that boosts over 1000 varieties of Orchids, and he found us 2 blooming Rafflesias.  Since it was just us on the tour, he was able to share some insight into the culture of the area and  learn about him.  The further inland we drove, the more Christian churches we began to notice.  He explained that he is a member of one of the island’s original 30 tribes, and those tribes were subjected to missionaries who converted them to Christianity in the 1970’s.  His dad’s tribe was the headhunter tribe, and they were the war makers of the island who protected the territory and were known to use machetes to decapitate anyone who encroached on the land.  You could tell this tribe apart from the others on the island because all the men were covered in tattoos and had earrings in both ears.  Though this tribe no longer head hunts, members still get tattoos and pierce their ears to pay respect to their tribe; our tour guide proudly showed off his tattoos and explained he still has his grandfather’s machete (don’t worry, he is a devout Christian now!)   Our tour guide also explained to us that he was fluent in 5 different languages:  English, which he spoke perfectly, as well as Malayan, and then 3 different tribe languages, since his wife is a descendent of a different tribe, and not the headhunter one he is from.

 

Our second excursion was snorkeling.  There is a series of 5 islands that are a protected refuge that you can take a 20 minute boat ride too.  We saw soooo many varieties of coral, we found nemo and dory, and at the end a huge school of needlefish that seemed to have an electric glow to them.  It was amazing.  And though it was beautiful, it was depressing at the same time because there was so much trash in the water. Not as bad as what we saw in Bali, but enough that made me a touch sad.  So as I was swimming, I would pick up the various plastic bags and bottles, and the fish would come right up to me because they thought it was food.  So though I got an up close look at lots of fishies, it was mostly because they thought the trash I was collecting was food.  My PSA:  Don’t be a litter bug.

 

The last full day we had in KK, we made no plans and just relaxed, enjoyed the pool, watched the sunset, and went to a light festival that was right on the water.  Though 80% of KK is Muslim, the city still caters to Christianity and there were tons of Christmas displays throughout.  I had read that Malaysia is a bit of a mixing bowl of different cultures and religions and they somehow all get along and celebrate each other’s holidays together, so it was really awesome to see this first hand.  Never once did I feel like I was being judged for not covering my head, elbows and knees, and it was kind of amazing to see a city 80% Islamic cater to the 5% that are Christians.

 

All and All, I really enjoyed visiting KK and really recommend it if you are looking for an affordable paradise that has a ton to offer.  It was a much needed break from the Korean air, and the sunset every night was magnificent.  So now its back to the grind but we are looking forward to our next trip, which will be in January, when we visit Cambodia and Vietnam.  We will be staying here for Christmas and looking forward to a low key holiday with a few day trips up to Seoul.

Until next time peeps….

 

 

 

 

Captain Planet, He’s our Hero….

Hello Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well!  Its been a bit of a slow week here, mostly due to excess pollution making it hard to be outside, so sorry its been a while since I’ve posted.  This week has been a bit next level with having to deal with air quality, so I figured I would tell you a little bit about my experience of it.

After we found out that we were coming to Korea, I started diving into research to find out what to expect.  The biggest thing that came out of that research aside from culture differences, was the air quality.  Because of the way the jet stream runs in this part of the world, it picks up dust from the Gobi Desert, and then passes through China, where those dust particles pick up pollution, and then get pushed to Korea.  According to what I read initially, air quality wasn’t something we really had to worry about until the Spring.  So I was completely surprised to learn that air quality is pretty much an issue year around except for in the summer, and then the humidity and heat pick up the slack for making going outside awful.  In order for me to come along with Zach, I had to be medially screened in order to be deemed healthy enough to make the journey.  I remember that doctor asking me like 5 different times if I suffered from asthma, which at the time I thought was a little over kill.  Plus, he was looking at my medical file and there is no instance of me being treated for asthma ever, but you know, I guess captain obvious didn’t have room in that screening! haha.  After the last week here though, I get it.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m going to die immediately from breathing the air, since I am a healthy individual.  But even with wearing an air mask this week, my throat still burns.  If you are a runner and have ever run outside during the winter and get that burning sensation in your chest, that’s how I feel right now.   There are reports of pink eye going around because of the gunk in the air, and people who have respiratory issues to begin with really suffer under these conditions.  The air quality was so bad on Wednesday that Seoul mandated that only cars with license plates ending in odd numbers could be on the road, public parking lots were closed as a deterrent to keep cars off the road, diesel engine vehicles were banned for the day, and public transportation was free to help people get around in an effort to not make the air quality worse.   I have two apps that help me keep track of air quality, one that rates the quality from green, yellow, orange, then red (red is no good), and another one that mathematically calculates how bad the air the air is by equating it to cigarettes smoked if you breathe the air without a mask.  Wednesday was the equivalent of 8.5 cigarettes.  Hooray pollution (don’t I make that air mask look good???  HAHAHA)

 

Those of you who know me, know that I am a tree hugger through and through (captain planet was most definitely one of my favorite childhood cartoons! See, it started early). I will give you side eye for using plastic bags for your produce in the grocery store (yes, I openly judge you EVERY TIME, but here is a great solution that won’t hurt your wallet),  I have been known to take all the empty wine bottles after wine club to make sure they get recycled, though I’m sure we could apply and get a second car here, I am enjoying my lessened carbon footprint on the world by going carless these next two years, and I most definitely will say something to you if I witness you littering (especially if you are in a national park…get it together!).  I’ve always believed that humans can most certainly have a negative impact on Mother Earth, and living in Korea has really opened my eyes to the reality of that fact.   For all of you that may have been annoyed with my tree hugging ways, I’m here to tell you that my experience here in Korea has only amplified this for me.  When you have to plan your week around air quality so you don’t feel like crap, you start to look up the reasons why air quality is so bad and how it can be prevented.  When I see news articles about our President dismissing the fact that human activity has an affect on the environment, it pisses me off.  If you are one of those who doesn’t think we as humans make a difference in the environment, I dare you to come over here to Korea on a bad air day without an air mask and talk to me about your beliefs and see if you don’t feel like a liar.  Seriously.  I dare you.  Its easy to write it off when it doesn’t necessarily impact you at the moment (believe me, I am guilty of that, then I witnessed smog in Korea and changed my mind).  I get it, making companies be environmentally responsible is not cheap and it raises the costs of goods and services. But I’ve said it once, and I will say it again, I’m ok with paying a little more for goods and services if it means manufacturers can limit their footprint on the air and water that I breath and drink.  I guess at the end of the day, it comes down to how much you value clean air and water.  Before moving here, I would say that I wasn’t overly concerned about regulating companies for the purpose of clean air and water….I mean, logically it makes sense, but is it really necessary in the United States?  But after the past week of continuous bad air (thanks everything made in China), I am know for a fact I am more than ok to pay a pretty penny to breathe fresh air.  Because breathing sucky air just sucks.  And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it once it’s bad except wait for it to pass or hope for rain.  And thank God its raining today.   I literally went for a walk today in the rain to get fresh air.  So have I changed my mind about regulating manufacturers???? HELL YES I HAVE.  Take all my money.

Other big thing going on right now is USFK is having a change of command today, and with that has come elevated protest activity among those who are not happy that we are here in Korea.  Most of these protests are peaceful, and countered with pro America groups, but over the weekend one group got a little over zealous and were throwing objects, resulting in a gate to close until authorities could get the situation under control.  Its been interesting to sit back and watch and at the same time kind of sad to see the stereotype of how some Koreans see us as a whole.  The Pro-America group was blasting “beer for my horses” as their theme song today as they counter protested the anti-USFK group near the main gate today.  Yikes.  But don’t worry, we usually get plenty of notice of these protests and for the most part they are mostly just entertaining and not violent, but its definitely been a spotlight in the events of this past week.

Otherwise, its going to be a pretty low key week and a half, but then we will be spending Thanksgiving in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.  I’m so excited to get to explore somewhere completely new and get away from the air pollution, even if for a few days.

So until next time, breathe easy my friends.

 

Train to Busan

Last Friday was Zach’s division’s 101st birthday, and so they had a ball on Thursday night and a 3 day weekend to celebrate.  Since Zach’s division hardly ever takes time off, even on federal holidays, we decided to take advantage of the down time to travel south to visit Korea’s second largest city, Busan.  (Side note:  They took a video clip of us at ball for the upcoming Army Navy Game on December 8th, so watch out for us with the 2nd Infantry Division….Zach and I are all the way in the back! haha).   Because traffic is awful, the drive would have been 4-5 hours, so we decided to try out the speed train here and got there in 2 hours flat.  It was super nice, roomy, and the countryside along the way was absolutely gorgeous (sorry, no pictures, hard to get non-blurry pictures at 130km per hour).  It constantly blows my mind how beautiful it is here in Korea.  Seriously.  

Busan might be my new favorite city.  Its a rather large city with public transit, and in one line of sight you can see beach and mountain.  Its like all my favorite things in one place. Since Zach’s job here in Korea is kind of non stop, I made an effort to not make a game plan so we could just go with the flow and take it easy (which was quite difficult with my type A personality haha).  This lack of game plan made me seriously anxious since we don’t speak the language here and were in new territory.  However, the more I continue to go out and explore Korea, I am always pleasantly surprised with the kindness and accommodations that are made to make it easier for those of us who cannot read and speak Hangul;  I think I fall a little more in love with Korea with every little trip I take.

The first day we were in Busan was super rainy, so we went and visited the UN memorial cemetery and then went to the world’s largest department store to wait out the rain.  The cemetery was absolutely beautiful, and you can tell the care and money that is put into its upkeep.   I would be telling a lie if I said Zach and I didn’t get lost in the department store more then once, it was insanely large and sandwiched between two shopping malls.  It had everything from a ice rink, to an American style pub, to everything in between.  Though it wasn’t initially what we planned on doing, we found a Charlie brown Christmas tree since we didn’t bring any of our Christmas decorations with us.  #winning.

 

On Saturday, what was supposed to be a chill sight seeing day was anything but.  30,000 steps and 125 floors later, Zach and I saw a Buddhist temple overlooking the Sea, on of Busan’s numerous  beaches, a cultural village, South Korea’s largest fish market, and a night market for all the street food.  It was exhausting but totally worth it.  My poor husband can’t catch a break! haha.

• Haedong Yonggung Temple – this temple was originally built in the 1300’s but was destroyed by the Japanese and then later rebuilt.  It was absolutely breathtaking but absolutely jammed with tourist by 11am.  It was very neat seeing people come to worship here and to take in all the beauty of the temple and the surrounding area.   I would love to go back at sunrise, because though it was beautiful, there were almost too many people there to really enjoy it the way I would have liked too.
  
  

  
• Haeundae Beach – even though it was barely 60 degrees, if there is beach, I will be there.  This beach is beautifully maintained and boasted a beautiful view of skyscrapers, sea, and mountains.  There was a farmers market, tons of restaurants, and they were even doing an outdoor gaming tournament while we were there.  Definitely going to be making our way back during the summer months to catch some rays and delicious street food for sure.
  
  

  
• Gamcheon Cultural Village –  this might have been my favorite stop on the trip.  It’s considered one of the most Instagrammed place in Busan, and after seeing it, I completely understand why.  During the Korean War, many South Korean’s fled south to Busan to escape the war front.  Gamcheon Cultural Village is the result of that migration of the population:  it was once a shanty town that has now been turned into an art center to turn a dark chapter in Korea’s history into something beautiful.  It’s houses upon houses in the hills of a mountain with curvy alleys and beautiful colors, and it seems to go on forever and ever. Throughout the village, there were different art exhibits, vendors, cafe’s and a museum to educate visitors on the area.   Zach and I had our first Patbingsu, which is a popular Korean dessert made with shaved ice and red beans.  Red beans are a dessert here, and the way they are prepared is sweet, but not overly sweet, and I must admit I was not a big fan in the beginning, but it has slowly grown on me.  We took so many pictures here, and though we were there for almost 2 hours, I could have spent the whole day there.  
• Jagalchi Market –  Being that Busan is a seaside city, it makes sense that it’s home to Korea’s largest fish market.  Most of the fish were alive, and you could pick your seafood and have the merchant prepare it for you to eat right there on the spot.  They had everything from fish, shrimp, king crab, lobsters, eels, octopus, squid, and Korea’s famous penis fish, because, you know, it looks like a penis LOL.   A few blocks over, there are about 5 different night markets that Zach and I walked through to have our dinner.  From fish on a stick, to tornado potatoes, we ate ourselves silly and loved every second of it.
  
  

  

Although our time was short, we are already planning our next trip to Busan in the Spring.  Highly recommend and it is super easy to navigate despite not knowing the language.

Next weekend we are hoping to go on a hike to check out the fall foliage, but besides that we will be pretty low key until Thanksgiving when we go to Malaysia for 5 days.  So it might be a little slow on the blog front, but who knows what adventures I will get into between now and Thanksgiving.

On a side note,  though I live in another country, its hard not to see what is going on back home and it makes my heart hurt so much.  I wish so much that people could be more like how the Koreans have been towards us, the foreigners.  It would be so easy for the Koreans to not be welcoming, to make things difficult, to resent us for taking jobs from them, for influencing their culture away from their traditional ways, but instead, it is the exact opposite.  Instead of resisting the people that are different, the Korean’s are curious and even accommodating in so many ways, its almost hard to believe at times.   I feel as if we are truly embraced here despite our differences, and I am so eternally grateful for the experience of feeling the warmth and kindness that the Koreans offer.  Just over the weekend, a group of people at a bus stop were enjoying apples and handed Zach and I each one without batting an eye, a woman insisted on taking our picture when we were struggling to take a selfie at the temple, and a bus driver went out of his way to make sure we knew where we were going because we must have had that look of confusion on our faces.  The language barrier was most definitely present in all 3 situations, but the common bond of being human was what made it all possible.  Love one another peeps.  Life is too short and its such a beautiful way to live!  Until next time…

Korean Cooking For the Soul

Every Thursday, a group of friends and I get together to do something, whether its trying a new restaurant together in town, exploring a new area, or going to spouse events on post.  This past Thursday, one of the ladies organized a private cooking class for us to attend in her home, and it might easily be my favorite thing we have done as a group so far (you have definitely set the bar high, Chie!!!!) .  If you couldn’t tell from my previous post, I’m pretty much in love with Korean Cuisine, so getting the opportunity to learn how to make some of the dishes was definitely a really awesome experience.  A professional chef came, along with a translator, and 3 assistants that helped us along the way.  The translator is actually a director of a center in town that aims to bridge the gap between the local community and the growing foreigner population.  It was really neat to get to hear about the center and it was awesome how they helped coordinate the cooking class for us.

The menu for our cooking class included Korean Pancakes, Japchae, and Kimchi.  What was really neat is before we even started we got a little history lesson on Korean cooking and where or why the dishes we were about to prepare are significant to Korean Culture.  Those who know me, know I LOVE to cook, and am an okay baker.  I’m only an okay baker because you have to measure things and can’t really ad lib so to speak, and I love just throwing ingredients together and tasting as I go, only using recipes as a loose guide to getting to the end result.  Korean cooking philosophy is very similar.   We received recipes, but there are zero measurements and we often asked how much, which to my amusement we got very vague answers.   Koreans believe in putting love in your food, and a sentiments they call “Sonmat” which translates to hand taste:  You will see in the pictures, hands were used to mix and taste the food all throughout class yesterday.  The chef who taught yesterday was a beautiful woman, but you can definitely tell that her profession has been hard on her hands, but she seemed to truly love what she was doing and it was really neat to see the passion she put into creating her dishes.

• Korean Pancakes:  unlike what we have in the states, pancakes here are not sweet so to speak nor a breakfast food, but rather a savory side or appetizer with tons of veggies and sometimes a protein ( We prepared ours with squid).  It was explained to us that Korean pancakes are popular and normally fried because as they are frying, it sounds like the rain, and there is a long rainy season here in Korea, so during those rainy seasons, Koreans like to prepare pancakes to mirror the sound of nature around then.
  
  

  

  
  
   
• Japchae:  Japchae is considered one of the most popular dishes in Korea, originating from the Joseon dynasty, which had 22 Kings serve during their rein.  If it’s good enough for a King, its definitely good enough for me!  ha.  The dish has tons of veggies, glass noodles, and usually a protein (we used pork).   It was seasoned to taste with some sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and all hand mixed together, because, sonmat.  I foresee a lot of Japchae being made in the Palko household for years to come!
  
  

  
• Kimchi:  So I have to say I was most excited to learn about how to make kimchi.  Kimchi is a very popular side dish here and involves a lot of patience in making it.  There are two types, the quick version, which we did yesterday, and the winter version, which you get in most restaurants, but it takes quite some time to make because the cabbage has to sit in a cool area in salt to soften.  Because the winters are so cold and vegetables are not able to grow, kimchi was the Korean’s solution to being able to still eat vegetables in the winter.  Historically, they would place kimchi in Kimchi pots and dig holes in the ground so that the Kimchi could ferment.  Now, because of technology, there are kimchi refrigerators and kimchi pots are more decorative then useful in urban areas, but still used in the rural areas.  Our cabbage sat for about two hours in salt before we combined all the ingredients, and though the cabbage wasn’t as soft as what you get in the restaurants, it was still delicious!   Again, all ingredients were hand mixed and I’m already eyeing bigger bowls and strainers to be able to make my first batch of kimchi at home!

  

  cabbage sitting in salt

  

  red pepper seasoning for the kimchi!

  

  Kimchi has anchovy sauce in it.

  

  Sonmat in action: putting all the love in the Kimchi!

The class was such a hit for everyone involved that we have plans to do it every other month, so I’m super excited for December to get here so I can learn more dishes to prepare at home.  I sent Zach to work with the leftovers today for lunch and from what I heard it was a big hit.

Other fun thing I have learned about Korean Culture is that when you are out eating with friends, it is custom to have someone else pour your drink for you.  Zach has had a few opportunities to attend dinners and events with his Korean counterparts, and its been fun learning all the different customs from these encounters.

That’s all the fun updates I have for this week.  Next week we are going to a ball and finally heading south to Busan for a 3 day weekend, so more to come on our first experience on the speed rail and our adventures in the south of the peninsula!

Nami Island Adventure and Air Quality

Happy Monday All!

So anytime I see an inexpensive trip through post, I sign Zach and I up.  So this weekend, we ventured to Nami Island with the spouses club on post.  And sadly, this is the first Korea fail we have experienced, though at almost 4 months here, it was long over due.  Nami island is **usually** a 2 hour drive from Camp Humphreys, and is a man made island in the middle of Han River.  Many K-dramas and movies have been filmed there, and with the leaves starting to change, we were really excited to experience something new and behold the beauty that was Nami Island.  The island has it’s own currency and has declared itself “independent”, though I think that’s more of a marketing ploy than anything else.  And don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful there, but it was so crowded that even if you wanted to take a picture of the beauty around, it would be jam packed with the numerous people that had the same idea that we did.  Instead of 2 hours, it took us just short of 4 hours to get there, that’s how crazy popular and busy this place was.  I thought Northern Virginia traffic was awful, but all I can say is: touché South Korea…touché. Luckily, I signed up for the trip with a couple of friends so the company was fantastic.  And it was beautiful, but I’m not sure its worth being on a bus for 7 hours and fighting masses of people to take in a view.   There were some beautiful homes along the river near the island and the island had tons of wild life, to include squirrels, which you really don’t see here in Korea, chipmunks, rabbits, and ostriches. 

We did get photobombed by one of the rabbits on the island so that was pretty awesome 🙂  Thank you Amia for taking our picture 🙂

 

Though it was a bust, the best part of the trip was the fact that the area that we visited is where my favorite Korean dish originated:  Dakgalkbi.  Its a spicy chicken stir fry that has rice cakes and cheese in it.  There is a place down the street from where we live that only serves this dish, so we may or may not have gone to two separate restaurants while we were at Nami Island to try the different variations of the dish.  It was spectacular! 

So as you are looking at the above pictures, you might think that they are a bit fuzzy….that’s a true look at how bad air quality is right now.  Its been hazy like this for about a week, and my respiratory system is not a fan.  No medicine works in clearing out the Korean crud, because its not a virus or bacteria, its just plain old dirty air. The best way to describe it is if you have ever opened your eyes under water in a chlorinated pool one to many times, everything looks really fuzzy and hazy until your eyes get rid of the chlorine once you get out of the pool.  That’s how much pollution is in the air right now.  I find myself contently blinking to try to clear my vision and then I remember its the air itself. Korea blames this on China, and the jet stream does move in a direction that would carry pollution our direction, but you never read about Korea taking a little ownership for their share in the air quality, because believe me, they are polluting the air just as China is.  Its been interesting to follow to say the least.  Especially since the US’s current administration is in the process of rolling back regulations on manufacturers aiming to  prevent air pollution.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand that these regulations cost money, take away from the bottom line, and therefore cause goods to cost more, but after witnessing poor air quality here and being sick for the past week, I’m 100% sure I’m ok with paying a little more money for goods and services if it means I have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.  Just my two cents 🙂  This picture should be crystal clear but this is what it looks like when companies aren’t regulated in what they release into our environment.  

Speaking of government regulations, this past Sunday I wanted to go to Costco to make my monthly trip.  However, the Korean government mandates that big box retailers such as Costco, Lotte Mart, Emart (think Target, Walmart) close every other Sunday in order to give smaller businesses a fighting chance to compete.   First thing that came to mind when I learned this was how nice this would have been while I was working for Target.  Its definitely interesting to learn where the government steps in here and where they do not.

Otherwise, not too much else to report.  I just finished up with my last electives for my MBA, so I only will be taking two classes at a time from now until May (thank you baby Jesus, these past two months have been ROUGH!).  I’m heading to Seoul tomorrow to do some more exploring and Zach and I are heading to Busan for a 3 day weekend in two weeks.  Hope everyone back home is doing well!

Winter is coming…

So I can say Korea definitely goes through ALL the seasons.  Though I’ve only lived here for 4 months, the raging summer has rolled into a cool and crisp fall season, and the wind has a bite to it that seems to forewarn you that winter is going to be bitterly cold.  Its hard to believe that a few weeks ago it felt like 110 degrees here, and now it barely gets to 70 degrees during the day.  Fall Foliage is rumored to be magnificent here, so I’m excited to watch it all unfold over the next couple of weeks.  Stay tuned for pictures from my fall adventures!

Its been a bit of a hectic few weeks; Zach has been working like crazy, I’m in my final week of the first part of my semester (5 more classes stand between me and my MBA!!!!),  we figured out that getting medical attention on the peninsula is going to require a bit more patience then we are used to, and I was offered a job, which I ultimately decided to turn down.  Work is hard to come by for spouses here, so I’m always on the look out, and saw a posting back in August that looked promising so I threw my name in the hat not thinking I would hear anything back.   It was an entry level position, but with a global organization, so room for growth for sure.  I went in for the interview (which if I’m being honest I didn’t really prepare for) and completely crushed it.  I guess I can thank Target for all those crazy ETL and STL interviews I endured through my career, because I knew leaving that interview I crushed it.  But I wasn’t in love with the role or the organization or the hours (when would I have time to travel and write these awesome blog posts?!? haha) .  It is nice to know I’m still employable after a year gap on the resume, so the search continues.

As for medical attention, we are figuring out that there are not enough military doctors to attend to the number of soldiers and families here.   Its a 3 week wait to get an appointment here on post.  And if they refer you to a civilian doctor or specialist , there has been so much change and movement with closing the installation in Seoul and moving it down here, the doctors can’t keep up with updated forms needed for referral approval.  I’m on week 4 of waiting to get a referral approved to see a civilian doctor:  Its been a cluster fuck to say the least, but it forced me to look into other avenues should there be a true medical emergency.   There is a Korean hospital in town that actually has an international department that will assign you a translator to help facilitate your care while on their campus, so its nice to know there are resources available in case something should happen before the new hospital opens in Nov of 2019.

This weekend we are taking a day trip to Nami Island and then in a few weeks we have a military ball and a planned trip to Busan for a 3 day weekend.  This past weekend was technically a 4 day for the military community, however, Zach ended up working a bit of it, and when he wasn’t working his phone was going non stop.  So we made the decision to go somewhere for Thanksgiving where his phone couldn’t ring and he could truly disconnect and get a break from the fast pace that is his job in Korea.  At first we were planning on going to El Nido in the Philippines, but apparently since this past April that destination has been on the no go list for military personnel per the state department.  So I asked a friend of mine for other suggestions and she mentioned Malaysia.  I have to admit, Malaysia was not on my radar to travel to while we are here, but I’m actually more excited about going there then I was about going to El Nido.  Its going to cost of half of what it would of cost us to go to the Philippines, there is awesome hiking, and the pictures are breathtaking.  So definitely look for the blog post about our first international adventure in Kota Kinabalu!

In the food world, a new Korean chicken place opened not to far from our house and I have no shame in admitting that I have been there twice in the past 5 days.  If you have ever eaten at a BonChon in the States, this is BETTER!!!!!  Seriously.  

One thing I have learned recently about Korea is they have some pretty intense libel laws.  For example, if I say anything negative in this blog about a specific business or person in Korea, that business or person have the legal right to sue me…I recently learned this and quickly reviewed all my blog posts to make sure they were not putting me at risk… the panic was real!  haha.  In the states we don’t think twice about leaving a bad yelp review or going on social media and sharing our horrible experience or not so favorable opinions, but that is not the case here.  People have to constantly monitor the spouses Facebook page and delete any posts that might leave someone vulnerable, but luckily, I really haven’t had a negative experience that has moved me to flex my freedom of speech that is not protected here.  But its been eye opening to see just how much we take for granted and to see things from another perspective….

Speaking of another perspective, I can say that living in a different country has given me a new perspective about the United States, and my life there in general, and its been kind of eye opening for me to discover.  I will preface this by saying that this is my perspective, based on the awesome opportunity I have to live abroad, and it may very well piss you off or offend you, but remember, its MY perspective.  I really think it would do every human being (including myself) some good if we would take the time to think of things from another perspective (I am learning so much about the world and even myself through this experience).  You don’t have to agree with it, but I feel compelled to share my perspective, so read the next few paragraphs at your own risk.  You’ve been warned.

Its hard to avoid all the things that are going on in the States right now, and I have to say that living here in Korea has made me look at some stories in the news in a way that I know I would never have if I wasn’t living here.  For example, the headline about the woman harassing Spanish speaking shoppers at a store in Colorado caught my eye.  She felt the need to harass a pair of women for not speaking the native language of the country.  Initially, I saw the headline and moved on because it didn’t surprise me and that made me sad.  But then I thought about my current situation.  I am a foreigner who lives in a country where I do not speak the language, not even a little.  I go out with my friends and my husband all the time and speak English to one another while out shopping and eating in restaurants.   I wonder if the woman who was bold enough to approach these Spanish speaking women believe that our service members and families should be held to the same standard that she expects from the women she harassed?  Would she be ok hearing about a Korean approaching a service member or family member and harassing them because they don’t speak the native language? I can only speculate, but it got me to thinking just how mean people have become.  And also how short sighted they are.     You can read about the situation in this newsweek article.

I have also been watching the dialogue around the #metoo and #himtoo movements from afar, and though I have a firm opinion on those, what I want to share is not my stance on the situation, but how my perspective about how I lived my life in the States has changed since living here in Korea.  There is a viral video going around about how its a scary time for boys (its sarcastic) and as I was watching it and the vlogger was going through all the things she couldn’t do as a female if she didn’t want to increase her risk of being assaulted, I realized that I really don’t have to take those precautions while I’m in Korea.  It also made me realize just how “normal” it was for me to alter my routine in order to feel safe while living in the States. Here in Korea, I don’t walk around with a key ready in my pocket to stab someone if I need to when I walk by myself, I can go for runs without sharing my route turn for turn before heading out, I can walk down the street with my earbuds in, and I can most definitely be on public transit by myself at night here.  I never realized all the steps I took each and every day to give myself some feeling of safety until I came here and realized its not necessary here.  And in some regards, this realization makes me miss home a little less. Its so nice to not have to worry about being taken advantage if I look lost, or turn down the wrong street, or am by myself and not necessarily paying attention to every little thing happening around me. Don’t get me wrong, crime happens here.  Bad things happen here.  I don’t want it to sound like I have completely thrown caution to the wind, but it kind of feels that way because it is different here.   I can say that I definitely feel more safe here in Korea then I have ever felt back in the States.  And that makes me so very sad to realize.  Its been nice to experience life in a different way here and from a different point of view.  But like I said, its been eye opening to see how different my normal is in the States versus what it is here in Korea.

Like I said, you might not agree with me in my perspective, but maybe it made you think about things in a different way.  Because I know I sure as hell am.  And I don’t think its a bad thing.  Until next time….

 

 

 

 

 

Korean Beauty

Before moving to Korea, I have to admit that I did not understand how into all things beauty the Korean culture truly is.  Korea is considered a hot spot for plastic surgery (who knew?) and you can tell by just watching the Koreans that appearance can be very important to them, especially among the younger generation.  There are tons of stores dedicated to just skin products, and to be honest, they are completely overwhelming.  I’m not really all that into a big beauty regiment, but I’ll throw on a face mask from time to time, so walking into a store that is all about skin care is not really my jam.  Koreans take it to a whole new level.  And its nothing to see skin products with placenta, snails, and other delectable delights…..like I said, next level.  I don’t know how true this is, but I’ve been told that Korea is a plastic surgery hot spot because Koreans are known for having great hands (dentist are also rumored to be superb, I will let you know next month).   I’ve also been told that since 80% of the population has a higher education, appearance is a way for them to differentiate themselves from one another in a very competitive market place.  Riding on the subway or bus, its normal to see males and females primping before exiting.  Seems like everyone carries a little hand held mirror and a small arsenal of beauty supplies to make sure they are looking their best.  I was completely blown away by all the women wearing full makeup in 100+ degree weather this summer.  My mascara was melting off my face and they looked flawless in the heat.

So today a few of my friends and I went on a shopping trip and tackled a few of the beauty stores to see what they are all about.   If you haven’t heard of Tony Moly yet, look it up.  You can spend as little as 3 bucks to 60 dollars on face masks alone.  So I picked up like 10 different face masks, will keep you guys posted on if I’m going to fully drink the kool aid or not LOL.  

Another thing I’m noticing about Korean culture is how dang adorable everything is.  Seriously, some of my face masks are designed to look like animals, my metro card has adorable characters on it, and I even bought slippers to wear while cleaning shaped like cats.  Seriously.  Everything is adorable.  And I want to buy it all.  

If you know me well, you know I am a finicky eater.  I don’t do mushrooms, absolutely hate seafood, I eat only scrambled eggs that have been thoroughly cooked, and don’t you dare put mayo anywhere near my plate.  Living in a country where you don’t speak or read the language can be challenging when it comes to ordering food, so I’ve put my finickiness aside and been a bit more adventurous then I would be in the states.   Luckily most menus come with pictures, so today while out exploring, I ordered what looked to be a beef soup.  And it was a beef soup, however, it was a cold soup and the beef was completely raw.  It was delicious, but if I die from food poisoning, please refer to the picture below LOL.  I’ve seen raw meat being put into hot soups before, because the broth cooks the meat, but never a cold soup, so this was a new one for sure.  Not sure that I would order it again (thanks food safety training), but it was delicious none the less.

 

Otherwise, everything is pretty low key at the moment.  The weather here has taken a pleasant turn for amazing here.  Its absolutely gorgeous here right now.  Mid 70’s during the day, low 60s at night. (hint hint:  visiting in September is a really good idea! haha)  There are flowers blooming now everywhere and apparently the fall foliage is a beauty to behold so I’m excited to soak it all in before winter sets in.  Zach and I found a bike/walking trail along the river near post this past weekend that was absolutely beautiful.  Wild flowers were blooming along the entire trail, and the trail is at least 10 miles long (we only explored a 2 mile stretch of it).  Valcor and Gizmo are living their best lives: since the weather is so nice we keep our windows open 24/7 which allows for all the bird watching.  Its hilarious to watch them.

That’s it for this week’s update. Hope everyone is doing well!  Thanks for reading 🙂

Forever the tourist

Over the weekend, Zach and I had an opportunity to go on a historical tour of the local area through post.  It was 100% free and we were able to tour a local university, a city council, a Korean War memorial honoring American Soldiers who paid the ultimate price, and the shrine for Admiral Yi, who helped defeat the Japanese during one of their many invasions of Korea in the 1500s.  The tour was put on by a local organization that works to strengthen its local community and maintain the strong relationship between Koreans and the Americans that live here.  There were printed signs welcoming us at every destination (see featured image) and they made sure we felt well taken care of the entire time we were on the tour.   If you notice in the picture, it says “welcome to camp Humphreys”, but should say “Welcome Camp Humphreys”.  I might start a new photo album of all the typos on English signs that are here in Korea.  They are everywhere and quite comical, though I so very much appreciate the attempt at English signs because life would be so much harder here without them.

• Stop #1 was Baeksoek University in Cheonan, which is just south of Camp Humphreys.  The university grounds are absolutely gorgeous, and is home to a poetry, religion, and art museum, and has about 30,000 students.  Korea has realized that the peninsula itself does not have a ton by way of natural resources, so Koreans see their minds and education as their best resource to prolong their culture and society.  The government has invested a lot in education here, and the university we toured reflected this investment for sure.  Of all high school graduates, 80% of Koreans go to college.  They are highly educated and have one of the best education systems in the world.  You can see how they have shifted from one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the richest economies in the world very quickly.  It was really neat to see and the museums were amazing as well.
  
  

  
• Next, we were taken to the City Hall of the city of Cheonan, and there we were able to take a quick tour and actually meet a few of the city council women.  Council people are elected and hold their seat for 4 years, and the two women we were able to meet had just been elected this year.  You could see their pride and enthusiasm in meeting us and it was pretty cool to see where all the action happens.  It was also nice to see women involved in the local government, as women haven’t always had an equal playing field here in Korea, so it was awesome to get to meet a few trailblazing ladies! 
• Cheonan was the location of a battle during the Korean War, where 98 American soldiers were killed.  Every July 8th, the town pays honor to those souls and has a memorial near the location of the battle and even renamed the street and park after Colonel Martin, who lead the US troops in the battle and lost his life during that battle.  It was very touching to see how serious they take this memorial and we even held a moment of silence for those soldiers.
  
  

  
• To end our tour, we were taken to the Shrine of Admiral Yi, a famed Korean naval commander that was able to defeat the Japanese during one of their many invasions.  The grounds were absolutely gorgeous, and we will most certainly be going back once the leaves start changing in the next month or so.  Although Admiral Yi is not buried at this location, his family and decedents are, and you can even drink from the well that his decedents have.  Koreans take great pride in honoring their ancestors, and this shrine is a great example in the care taken to make sure they honor Admiral Yi and his memory.  
• Random Korean fact for you all:  Zach and I have noticed that Koreans back into their parking spots everywhere.  Because parking is tight, it apparently is easier to back in then to back out of parking spots.  And they do it soooooo well.  Its incredible to see.  And its funny when you go to parking lots, because you can tell who the foreigners are by who just pulled into a spot versus backing into it.  
• Next week is Chuseok, Korea’s version of Thanksgiving, where they gather with their family to honor their ancestors.  We’ve been told to not travel if at all possible, as you can expect to be stuck in non moving traffic for hours as Koreans travel to be with their families and loved ones.  So Zach and I might be checking out a local trail for hiking, but not much else this 3 day weekend to avoid the craziness.  We are planning a trip to Busan in a month or so and have booked another free tour for the end of the month (because, you know, free!)  More to come from your favorite blogger for sure!

Turn that frown upside down…

So I’m a little behind on the blog post this week, its been a busy one!  Between school and trying to be more involved on post, haven’t had a ton of downtime.  With that being said, I think the honeymoon is over.  Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE living in Korea, but I have to say that my peers have been leaving me more and more frustrated the more I interact with them.  Its not been an easy transition of meeting new people while living here, so this month I decided to become active with the spouses club, volunteer events, and various other activities that Humphreys provides for us in order to branch out and meet like minded people.  It has been a tough pill to swallow to be around so many people who are just so very negative about living here in Korea.   For example, each family is only allowed one car, though they will make exceptions if the spouse works or other extenuating circumstances occur (having kids does not validate you needing a 2nd car here).  I have been blown away by how inflexible Americans truly are on this.  Sure, its a bit of an adjustment to not just hop in the car and get up and go when I want to, BUT, the transportation system here is AMAZING and sooooooo cheap.  We all know the one car rule coming in, yet people decided to not find homes near bus stops and therefore are a little out of luck in that regards.   They figured they would just get approved for a second car because, you know, why wouldn’t they?  I have two feet, a bike, a bus pass, and a can do attitude.  It’s exhausting listening to the negative Nancys constantly bitch about how inconvenient life here is.  Its really not.  I actually think things are more accessible here without a car then they were when I had a car and lived at Fort Leavenworth.    Its been eye opening to see just how much we take for granted in the States and how spoiled we come across sometimes.  Its been a little disappointing, frustrating, and eye opening to see how much time some of my peers here waste time being negative instead of embracing the opportunity to experience life in a different way.

On a more positive note, there are some AMAZING programs hosted through the base here, and I was able to take part in one just last week.  For two days, I did a head start program put on through the local university, where we were able to interact with college student and sit through lectures put on by professors about Korean culture, language, politics, and the various things to do on the peninsula.  They even fed us lunch for free, taught us how to make Kimbap (Korean sushi), gave us $10 to shop at the local market, and gave us a loaded metro card and then took us on the bus and metro to make sure we knew the ins and outs of the system.  It was a great learning experience for us, and also great for the Korean students to practice their English.  On the last day, we were taken to a tradition Korean folk village and it was amazing.  Here are a few takeaways from the experience:

• I continue to be blown away by the markets here, and found a huge one a short bus ride from where I live.  It is endless, and you can literally buy anything there.  From textiles, to fresh produce, and even seafood that’s still alive, if you can dream it, its in this market.   The lady was trying to scare me with live octopus in the pic below LOL.

• I have been asked so many times since being here how old I am.  In our culture, its considered very rude to ask a woman her age, but here in Korea, age is very important in their culture because respect to your elders is a very big deal.  How you say hello changes based on who you are addressing and how old they are.  Traditionally, you are only consider people ‘friends’ if you are born in the same year.  I don’t think that holds true as younger people blur the lines of tradition, but it now makes sense why I am constantly asked how old I am by Koreans.
• Korea has changed very rapidly in the past 70 years.  It was one of the poorest countries in Asia and is now the 5th largest economy in the World.   All of the professors who spoke to us, no matter the topic, talked about how Korea of 10 years ago is not the same as it is today.  Its interesting as I tour around the country to see modern Korea and tradition Korea try to figure out how to coexist.  Its an interesting mix for sure.
• Koreans LOVE to hike.  The country is 70% mountain, so it makes sense,  but I started putting it all together in my head after it was mentioned in my cultural class.  They also take hiking very seriously.  When Zach and I were in Seoul for Labor Day weekend, I noticed several locals decked out in hiking gear on the train.  I mean, DECKED out.  Zach and I have been hiking twice now, and we look like a bunch of amateurs in our running shoes and lack of hiking bookbag and walking sticks.  Also, Koreans put workout equipment in parks and on top of mountains.  Its awesome.  You can get a great workout without ever joining a gym.  
• Korea has the fastest internet in the world, allegedly.   The jury is still out on this one, but I will say I have service no matter where I am here on the peninsula.

 

• Kimbap is Korea’s version of sushi.  Instead of raw seafood, Koreans through whatever leftover meats and veggies they have and roll them up.  Its like a leftover casserole but way better.   This way my attempt in my cooking class below.
• My new favorite thing is honeycomb ice cream.  A friend of mine found this adorable honey café about 20 minutes from where we live, so Zach and I went to check it out this weekend.  They have tons of bee hives in the back of the property, and at the café you can buy different flavors of honey, honeycombs, drinks flavored with honey, and honeycomb ice cream.  Its heaven.  Seriously.

Besides school and work, Zach and I are trying to figure out our first big trip out of country, probably in January.  I think we are leaning towards going to Cambodia and Vietnam first.  Anyone been?  Any must sees?    Believe me, this is the first of many trips we plan to take, and we are so excited to see what Asia has to offer, but I think we are set on these two countries because otherwise, its soooo hard to decide.  So many places to go.   Until next time, peeps!

 

 

The DMZ aka The Demilitarized Zone

Over the weekend, Zach and I ventured up to Seoul to explore the capital of South Korea.  We had a blast navigating the subway system to check out a palace, a secret garden, the North Seoul Tower at Sunset, as well as a street market.  We stayed at a hotel on the Army Installation in town, Yongsan, and fully understand why the Korean government wants that land back.  It is prime time real estate right in the city,  and I have to say I’m a bit jealous of anyone stationed there because it was too easy to get around Seoul from there.

When we first found out we were moving to Korea, I knew one of the first trips I wanted to make was to the DMZ.  I will confess, I knew hardly anything about the area, or how it came to be, so I was really anxious to get there and to learn how the two Koreas got to the point of needing the DMZ.   You cannot just go to the DMZ, as it is heavily regulated, so the only way is to book a tour.  Because of the American holiday weekend, the Joint Security Area (JSA) was not open to the public, but we were able to see the peace park, a tunnel North Korea dug with the idea to invade South Korea, an observation area where you can see North Korea, and the last train stop in South Korea before the DMZ.   Obviously, I have been paying attention to the news over the past few months leading up to the move in regards to North Korea and hopes of a peace treaty.  I don’t know if a peace treaty will come anytime soon, but I do know that I was absolutely blown away by what I saw and what I learned during this trip.   Here are a few take aways from the trip:

• From our hotel in Seoul, it took us about an hour by bus to get to the area in the DMZ we were touring.  At one point of the bus ride, we were within 800 meters of North Korea.  About 20 minutes into the trip, I started noticing barbed wire and outposts every few hundred meters along the highway. During the bus ride where we could see North Korea on the other side of the river, our tour guide pointed out a village, which she explained is a propaganda village.  No one lives there.  Its all for “show” to boast of the great lives that are led on the other side of the river.  From what South Korea has learned from defectors, life in North Korea is nothing like the propaganda village that is visible to South Korea along the highway; instead most live in very poor conditions.  (Below is a lookout post along the highway and a picture of the propaganda village we saw from the highway).
  
• The DMZ is somewhat of a tourist trap.  All the stops on our tour had souvenir shops and the peace park even has an amusement park for the kids.  It was such a weird vibe for such a somber place.  Most of the visitors while we were there were Korean, and you got a sense of hope that one day soon there will be a unification of both Koreas.  That is the goal and all of what I hear about in the Korean news.  Approximately 54,000 families were separated during the Korean War in the 1950’s, and time is running out for those families to be reunited as father time is taking his claim.  A few weeks ago there was a family reunion event held in North Korea for families from both sides to spend a few days together for the first time since the 1950s, and most likely the last time they will see each other unless reunification happens.   The local channels televised the event, and I couldn’t hold it together for more than a few minutes.  Its heartbreaking and gut wrenching to watch. I dare you not to cry looking at this article.   So after seeing the coverage of the reunions, I found it weird that the DMZ is sort of a tourist trap.  But,  there were so many signs of hope as well.  And that was beautiful to see. 
• Over the years, South Korea has discovered 4 tunnels in which North Korea has dug, in what can be assumed to be avenues to be used to invade South Korea.  North Korea obviously denies this,  saying those tunnels were for mining, but South Korea knows about these tunnels from defectors and there is no sign of coal in any of the tunnels found.  This to me was the most mind blowing part of our tour.  Unfortunately, we were unable to take pictures, but we went 73 meters into the Earth (my Fitbit told me it was 27 floors down).  The tunnel we toured could hold 30,000 troops and artillery could pass through.  It was absolutely insane.  And a visual of just how crazy North Korea and their leadership is.  Although 4 of these tunnels are known about, from information gathered, it is believed there are up to 20 such tunnels that are not found yet.  20!  Its kind of terrifying to think about after actually being inside one of those tunnels.  
• Though many feel hopeful that a peace accord is on the horizon between the two Koreas, I have to say I don’t feel that optimistic after seeing what I saw from the DMZ.  Its hard to explain, but Kim Jong-un has set a course that will be hard to go back from for North Korea.  The two Koreas could not be more different, and you could see those differences with your naked eye.  Though on the same peninsula, the mountains in North Korea look different than those in South Korea.  Our tour guide explained that this is because Kim Jong-un has trees removed from the mountains on his side of the DMZ so it is easier to spot defectors (you can see the barren spots in the pictures below)   Driving to the observation area, you could see all the areas surrounding the road with caution signs, as the area is still heavy with land mines.  Of all the land mines on the South Korean side, only 35% have been removed so far.   Like I said, it was very weird seeing an amusement park and signs warning of land mines within a minute drive of each other. 
• From the observation deck, you can see North Korea as long as its not a hazy day.  I was able to see the UN compound on the boarder, another propaganda town in the distance, the barren mountains, along with the crazy flag pole war going on between the two countries.  South Korea installed a large flag on the edge of its boarder, and in response, Kim Jong-un installed the largest flag pole in the world at the time.  Its now the 4th largest, but our tour guide joked that she wouldn’t be surprised if he made it taller to go along with his ego. (You can see the South Korean flag in the picture above in the right side of the picture, the North Korean flag is washed out by the background unfortunately).   In the picture below, you can see the power lines on the left start out looking white, and then turn to a more metal color once the line travels to North Korea.  A few years ago South Korea was supplying North Korea with electricity, but has since stopped.  But the powerlines was just another visual of the firm line drawn in the sand, on top of the barbed wire that runs along the boarder.  
• South Koreans do not travel to North Korea because they will be shot on sight, and North Koreans have to find ways to defect other than the actual boarder most of the time.  South Korea does accept refugees and they are offered money and assistance to restart their life in South Korea, however, there is fear that these refugees are spies and that has been the case in the past with some.  I was recommended a documentary, called Seoul Train, that explains the harrowing journey for defectors who have to go by way of China to get to South Korea. Because China plays nice with North Korea, defectors are not granted asylum and are sent back if caught in China.  Its tricky business and there is an underground railroad of sorts to help these individuals who are brave enough to attempt it.
• The last stop we made on the tour was the last train stop in South Korea on the way to North Korea.  The railroad between the two countries is complete, however, until there is unification, only goods are on the trains that run between the two countries.  From what I understand, those trains are not running right now because of North Korea’s continued nuclear activity.  We were able to buy wine from North Korea at one of the souvenir shops, and was told that it came into South Korea by way of said train, but I’m not sure I believe it or not.  Like I said, total tourist trap, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity, fake or not, to buy wine from North Korea. Outside of the train station is a huge plaque (picture below), with all the names of companies from South Korea that have donated money to help with the goal of reunification.    The train station itself is a clear symbol of the hope South Koreans hold for reunification, and the plaque just reinforces this hope.  The infrastructure is there, the hope is there, South Korea is just waiting for North Korea to denuclearize for once and for all.   But unfortunately, the matter at hand is so very complicated and not that cut and dry.  Though reunification is on the minds of everyone, only time will tell if that happens in our lifetime.

 

This week I am taking a two day course through the local university on South Korea, so I look forward to sharing what I learn once completed.  Check you guys next week!