안녕 친구

Wow, you're still here?

Welcome to the 100th Shayne and Jo.com post. We're going to celebrate by fleeing the country in a few short hours.

As of yesterday we’ve lived here for over a year. It’s a strange situation. Looking back it seemed as if the year passed by in mere minutes. On the other hand, we can remember nights that felt like days and months that seemed to stretch on for years. There were times where we could see ourselves living in Korea for the rest of our lives and times where we were probably one problem student away from hopping on the next homeward bound plane.

But in the end, the good days far outweighed the crappy ones.

To be completely honest, we now consider coming here to be the best decision we’ve ever made. A lot of you know that coming to Korea wasn’t the first choice for what we wanted do with the past year. But life’s what it is and things have a funny way of changing themselves on you just when you see things going in a completely different direction. So as the cliché goes, we rolled the dice.

Luckily for us it all worked out. We managed to build a really good life in an almost totally alien environment. We pushed ourselves to accept things that bewildered us and seemed to lack any reason, and because of this we ended up falling in love with the place. And along the way we found some direction for our futures, got engaged, booked tickets to see a good chunk of Asia, made a lot of friends, chased down a poor geisha, and learned to read (and speak...in a 3 year old kind of way) Korean.

Not a shabby way to spend a year, if we do say so ourselves.

We're going to keep posting while we're on our trip but they may be few and far between, so we wanted to thank all of you now.

It's been a lot of fun doing this blog and you guys made all the hard work worthwhile.

Talk to you soon.

Shayne and Jo (posting for the last time in Korea)

The Best and Worst of Times...or One Final Word

Over the past year we’ve thought a lot about our experience here in Korea. And we don’t mean just what we’ve experienced personally, but how we’ve experienced Korea itself. Now, we know that living in another country for merely a year doesn’t qualify us, per se, as expert commentators, but since when has such notions as being “qualified” or “expert” ever stopped us from blabbering on with our opinions before? And so here you have it: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of Korea.

The Good

Never Down for the Count:

The absolute best thing about Korea is that it’s a fighter. It might not be the strongest fighter in the game but it’s probably the toughest. Japan’s been invading Korea since the 16^th century and while China was never quite as aggressive as the Japanese they certainly took their share of resources (think gold and virgins) from the Koreans over the years. Most people in the west don’t know this, but Japan actually occupied them in 1907 and didn’t leave until the end of the Second World War.

During their stay, the Japanese tried everything they could to destroy Korean culture. They destroyed palaces, banned the use of the Korean language, used forced labour, and even went as far as using Korean women as “comfort women” (a polite word for forced prostitution). Combine this history with their recent civil war, and you think Korea would be like most other countries who shared similar histories - absolutely crippled both economically and spiritually. Yet somehow, against all odds they have prevailed. They have a massive economy (one the world’s biggest), unparalleled pride in their nation, and they even managed to switch from a totalitarian state to a burgeoning democracy. It’s hard not to respect the hell out of that.

Made in Korea:

Korea’s past probably drove it to want to be as independent as possible, because for a country of only fifty million people or so, its economy is a real powerhouse. Most of you probably have numerous Korean products around your house, but you might not know it. If you own anything from Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Daewoo, Kia, or Lotte, it was probably made here. Koreans take a deep pride in producing locally almost everything they need. They produce their own buses, lamps, toys, clothes, computers, cars, chemicals, movies, medicines, alcohol, etc, etc. Almost anything you can think of, they make.

Now, a lot of that is going to change with the recently signed trade agreement with the United States. Still, their desire to produce everything in-house always impressed us. If only they’d produce some Kraft Dinner or donairs : ) The Koreans don’t seem to respond well to foreign businesses rolling in either. Dozens of companies have learned the hard way that if you don’t cater your product to fit Korean needs you will fail here no matter how popular you are back home (the biggest company to make this mistake was Walmart who bombed in Korea and had to sell all of their stores last summer. This is probably another reason to like Korea).

Misc Mumbo Jumbo:

We could go on and on about how kind most Koreans have been to us over the past year. But hopefully you already know that from reading our site. Still, we’d have to be crazy to write a blog about what we liked about this place and not mention its people. Sure there are no limits to the number of crazy old adjumas (married women) who will push you out of the way on the streets or pizza delivery boys who fail to consider your safety as they wiz by at 100 km an hour. But, when push comes to shove most Koreans are helpful, caring people and we have to give them their props. So people of Korea, Kudos to you.

The Bad

Confucius…Oh Confucius

For most people in the west Confucius holds a certain mystique generally contained to fortune cookies and dirty jokes. But here in Korea one finds out what Confucius was really all about, and it ain’t all fun and games.

Korea is the country that, above all others, took Confucianism to heart and never really let go. Its thinking has profoundly shaped the country’s culture. Part of that culture is hierarchy. From school children to company presidents, hierarchy is so intensely important here that we know a Korean woman whose long-time boyfriend dumped her because he attended the much-lauded Seoul University, while she only went to a college, and his parents strongly disapproved (so much so that they would call her and badger her to break up with him).

This sense of hierarchy has led to strong competition throughout society, and coupled with another Confucian tenet that places “study hard” up there with “thou shall not kill”, Korean children are subjected to a work day that would rival 19^th century textile mills…minus the risk of amputated fingers of course. Seriously though, Korean children study for an unreasonable length of time each day. Elementary and middle school students start school at 8 o’clock and then attend one to three private academies until the middle of the evening. High school students (who were lucky enough to make it into an academic high school) start at 8am, eat both lunch and dinner at school, and make it home sometime around 10pm.

What makes the education system here all the worse is that the government and businesses have made academic achievement absolutely paramount to success later in life. Seriously, one bad test score in middle school could domino and make the difference between making a good salary and delivering fried chicken. Second chances are rare. Say what you want about western society, but it’s comforting to know that we could completely mess up our lives now, and later be able to pull up our bootstraps and make a million bucks if we really put our minds to it (how hard could it be? :-D )

“And the walls…came tumbling down…”

For all the success Korea has had in rebuilding since the war and becoming an economic powerhouse, all that drive has had its drawbacks…and nowhere is that more in evidence than in its buildings.

As I read in a book called “The Koreans” (which I highly recommend), Koreans have a big “can do” attitude coupled with a “that’ll do” attitude. This means that buildings are put up as quickly as possible, with many corners cut. In Ulsan, many buildings aren’t that old, but they’re starting to crumble, as tiles fall away revealing shoddy concrete underneath. Inside apartments too, it’s common to see peeling wallpaper, ripping in the corners where it wasn’t set flush to the wall, caved-in tiles set over gaps in the concrete, unleveled surfaces, etc, etc. Our curtains fell down in the bedroom the other week, revealing too-short screws driven into the concrete without anchors. It’s all a little bit shocking for such a modern, industrial country.

Fashion…not likely

For anyone looking for westernized Asian shopping, Korea is not the place to go. Fashion here seems to be stuck somewhere in the 80’s and the mantra is “fancier is better.” Everything from ruffles to bows to sequins to big pictures of Mickey Mouse are all a-okay. For instance, check out these losers:

Anyway, there's a million more nice things we could say about Korea and a few other annoyances that we could mention too. But time is short and we've got packing to do. Hopefully we've shown over the year how much we love this place. It truly is our second home and we're already missing it.

So...as the Koreans say "An-Kung-ee-cass-ayo"

Goodbye

Pop some corn and head for the nearest couch

Greetings

Because of its small population in relation to China and Japan, the success and shear size of Korea's film industry is rather shocking. To demonstrate just how big the domestic film industry is over here I'll share with you this little piece of trivia: By 2005 Korea became one of only three nations to watch more domestic than imported films in theatres.

Using my own rudimentary math skills I've figured that the average Canadian watches one actual Canadian film in the theatre for every 3,768 American films that he/she watches. So the Korean stat is truly staggering.

Korea's currently in a tight race with China and India to be the cinematic power house of Asia, and Jo and I tried to help it as much as possible this year. We watched a decent number of Korean films this year and remarkably only one was a true dud. Thus, with only 7 days to go I thought it was time to give you a quick briefing of my five favorite Korean films.

Number 5: Tae Guk Gi

What IMDB.COM says:

"In 1950, in South Korea, the shoe-shiner Jin-tae Lee and his eighteen years old student brother Jin-seok Lee form a poor but happy family with their mother, Jin-tae's fiancé Young-shin Kim and her young sisters. Jin-tae and his mother are tough workers, who sacrifice themselves to send Jin-seok to the university. When North Korea invades the South, the family escapes to a relative's house in the country, but along their journey, Jin-seok is forced to join the army to fight in the front, and Jin-tae enlists too to protect his young brother. The commander promises Jin-tae that if he gets a medal he would release his brother, and Jin-tae becomes the braver soldier in the company. Along the bloody war between brothers, the relationship of Jin-seok with his older brother deteriorates leading to a dramatic and tragic end."

What I say:

A good war flick that loses it's focus once or twice but still manages to give the viewer a good kick in the butt. B-Minus



Number 4: City of Violence

What IMDB.COM says:

"Tae-su, a detective fighting organized crime, returns to his hometown for his high school friend Wang-jae's funeral. At the funeral, he meets his old friends Pil-ho, Dong-hwan and Seok-hwan and they reminisce. Suspecting something fishy about Wang-jae's death, Tae-su and Seok-hwan start investigating it each in his own way. Both of their investigations lead to a land development project that Pil-ho is directing and the two embark on a difficult battle."

What I say:

One of the sexiest films ever made. It's the kind of film Tarrantino should be making. Its homage to The Warriors made it even cooler. A



Number 3: Welcome to Dongmakgol

What IMDB.COM says:

"Soldiers from both sides of the Korean divide live among villagers who know nothing of the war"

What I say:

Hmmm... they didn't really say a lot, did they? The film's about soldiers from the North and the South (plus an American for comedy's sake) forced to live together in a small village during the war, and their relationship with each other and the villagers. I highly recommend this film as it manages to combine the brutality of war with comedy in a manner that comes across as both believable and respectful. Solid A



Number 2: The King and the Clown


What IMDB.COM says:

"Two clowns living in the Chosun Dynasty get arrested for staging a play that satirizes the king. They are dragged to the palace and threatened with execution, but are given a chance to save their lives if they can make the king laugh."

What I say:

This is the most critically acclaimed movie on the list and it's supposedly a good glimpse into the Chosun period of Korean history. One of the film's main characters is a very effeminate homosexual male who has a special relationship with the King, which is a rather surprising topic given Korea's overall denial that homosexuality even exists. The best part of the film is its actors, who do a great job with a tricky subject matter. Easy A Plus



Number 1: Gwoemul (or The Host)


What IMD.COM says:

"The film revolves around Park Hee-bong, a man in his late 60s. Park runs a small snack bar on the banks of the Seoul's Han River and lives with his two sons, one daughter and one granddaughter. The Parks seem to lead a quite ordinary and peaceful life, or maybe a tad bit poorer than the average Seoulite. Hee-bong's elder son Gang-du is an immature and incompetent man in his 40s, whose wife left home long ago. Nam-il is the youngest son, an unemployed grumbler, and daughter Nam-joo is an archery medalist and member of the national team. One day, an unidentified mutant suddenly appears from the depths of the Han River and spreads panic and death, and Gang-du's daughter Hyun-seo is carried off by the monster and disappears. All the family members are in a great agony as they have lost someone dearest to them. But as they find out she is still alive, they resolve to save her"

What I say:

Ok, what doesn't this film have? From goofy characters to sea monsters to evil American soldiers, this baby has it all. This will easily join my collection and sit somewhere on the shelf between Return of the Living Dead and Jaws. It's funny, creepy, scary, and very, very stupid. If you love action movies or horrors, you just can't go wrong here. It takes the typical western formula for a science fiction film and combines it with enough Korean humour and creativity to easily beat anything that we've produced in the genre since The Matrix. A Plus

Well, there you have it, five films to help get you started with Korean cinema. Hopefully you'll be able to see at least one or two of them. Quite a few are readily available at your local Video Update or Futureshop.

One last note. I should warn you that Korean humour is a little different than its western cousin and can take a little while to get used to. Most of the films on this list (even the deadly serious ones) contain wacky scenes that might just leave you scratching your head. But hey, if it was the same as back home, what would be the point?

Cheers

Shayne

Fitness: Korean style

As our year here draws to a close, we decided that it was about time to write a blog about the gym we've been going to all this time. Like most things in Korea, it's similar to gyms back home...but different...so, so different.

The first time we went to the gym, we brought along some gym clothes (as one does), only to find out that only "crazy" people wear their own clothes, and that we were to don special gym uniforms...

Here's Shayne modeling the men's uniform.

And here I am with the women's version.

You may be thinking that these uniforms are extremely ugly. In this we would be in agreement.

Now, Korean gyms are full of all the equipment you'd expect to find: treadmills, stationary bikes, weight machines, etc. But they're also full of many things that you wouldn't expect...

In the above photo, Shayne is demonstrating a fitness craze that's taken Korea by storm: the hula-hoop. Now, this ain't no ordinary hoop. It's heavy and it has hard nubbs all around the inside. I can understand the weight, as it makes it easier to keep the thing rotating, but I can't think of any purpose for the nubbs other than pure punishment. Maybe they're supposed to massage you as you hula, but I felt only pain.


...And another form of punishment is this strange turn-you-upside-down number. This was the first time either of us had tried it, but as we've both witnessed many, many Korean gym-goers using it, we thought there had to be some benefit. The only "benefit" Shayne could derive, however, was a headache from all the blood rushing to his head.


And here I am demonstrating the "Superbelt Massager," another extremely popular "fitness" machine. These things were discredited in the west years ago, but apparently many Koreans still find hope in the holy grail of fitness that is weight-loss without the effort. To be fair, I have seen many people using this to massage sore muscles, but they're in the minority.


Speaking of massage, here's Shayne enjoying the motorized version of those wooden massagers you buy at the Body Shop. Only in Korea.

Anyways, that's the quick and dirty of it. We hope you've enjoyed your tour of "Emperor Fitness" and we hope to see you again soon.

Until next time,
Jo

EH!!!

Greetings

When I was growing up I spent a lot of time questioning the existence of a Canadian culture. Like the Yeti or the Sasquatch, the idea of a true Canadian culture was believable but just a little too fantastical to truly get behind. Afterall, a country as young as ours (post colonization, of course) has little in the way of history and nobody ever clamours for "Canadian food". It's true that recently Canadian music has made huge inroads, but in my youth there was Cory Hart and Brian Adams...enough said.

But after spending a year overseas and meeting friends from all over the world, I've come to realise that not only is the Canadian culture real, but it's fantastic. I'm definitely leaving here a lot prouder of Canada than when I came here (which says a lot because I was always patriotic).

To demonstrate my newfound love for all things Canadiana, I thought I would make a list of the things I've come to love this year.


Number 8: Come on in


In television shows nobody ever takes their shoes off upon entering a house or apartment. I always thought that this was to save time or something. I certainly never thought that millions (perhaps billions) of people actually do this every day. But, upon visiting an Australian friend's house I learned that people really do wear shoes in their houses. It seems that this is common behaviour in Australia.

It seems that this is also common in South Africa too, as a friend from there mentioned that they do the same thing. As someone whose mother would introduce them to the business end of a cane if he did such a thing, I still can't wrap my head around the idea. I guess it depends on the weather and geography of a place. But still, here's to you Canada and your clean carpets. Keep up the good work.



Number 7: It's a F^ck*i%g toboggan

If you looked at the above picture and thought "hey, thats a swell looking sled" then please leave the site because we can no longer be friends. I was shocked how many people had no idea what I was talking about when I used the word toboggan last winter. I'm proud to come from a country where people still know what a toboggan is. I know that this is true because every winter Canadian tire publishes fliers advertising both toboggans and sleds. Hooray.



Number 6: This is not a knit hat or knit cap, sock cap or stocking cap, or a watch cap - It's a tuque.

Sigh, much like toboggan the word tuque needs to be exported to the rest of the world. It's a fine word and besides, can you imagine asking "hey where is my stocking cap"? That just sounds wrong.



Number 5: "tee"? NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

This is something that I have struggled with all year but try it out. Please say the following words aloud:

1. Thirty
2. Forty
3. Fifty

If you pronounced them just as they are written then you're probably not Canadian. It seems to be a Canadian thing to say "thir-dy, for-dy, fif-dy" and so on and so on. For some reason Canadians prefer to add a 'D' sound to the end of their numbers. I tried to avoid doing this when I was teaching the children as most native English speakers don't seem to do it. It was hard for me though. I would clench my teeth and shake as I forced myself to say "twen-ty, thir-ty", etc etc. Somedays I would run home just so I could scream " FIF-DYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY".

I don't know if this is common all over Canada or in any other English speaking countries, but from the sites I've read it definitely appears to be a Canadian phenomenon.



Number 4: Yeah, I said it...chesterfield.


Dictionary.com defines a chesterfield as:

"Chiefly Canadian. Any large sofa or couch."

To me chesterfield was just another name for a couch. I had no idea that it was a Canadian concept until a few months ago. I was eating lunch with some people from Australia and Bengladesh, when I told a story about how I had seen a couch in the middle of the road. Of course, I used the word "chesterfield" instead of couch and the blank stares I got back were priceless. At first I thought everyone was surprised because I was wasting their time with such a boring story. But alas, the stares were because they had absolutely no idea what a chesterfield was.

Another fine example of Canadian culture - the chesterfield.

Number 3: Degrassi High Baby

This show is to Canada what the Kangaroo is to Australia or what the hairy highland cow is to Scotland. Simply put, nothing truly encapsulates Canada like Degrassi High. I swear that when I meet non-Canadians for the first time they always bring this show up. It always goes like this:

"So, you're from Canada? How about that Degrassi? Now that was a great show."

No kidding, it's always like that. People from all over the world know about Arthur and Wheels and Snake. In fact, a friend from Australia watched the show in Sex Ed. Yep, it's true, what the Australians know about sex they learned from Joey Jeremiah.

If that doesn't make you proud to be Canadian, nothing will.

Number 2: What I'd give for a box of KD


I'm extremely proud of how much Jo and I became accustomed to Korean food. We eat it all the time and we truly love almost all of it (we'll never love that nasty spinebone soup). But despite our newfound relationship with Korean food, we never lost our cravings for Kraft Dinner. When I went home for that week in November I brought a suitcase of it back and we've been rationing it ever since.

Our love for the cheesy goodness that is Macaroni and Cheese seems to puzzle most of our friends. Upon studying the matter further, I've learned that Canada consumes more Kraft Dinner than any other country, and that lots of people from other counties either don't like it or have never even tried it.

So tonight celebrate Canada by having a bowl. Mmmm cheesy goodness.



Number 1: This land is my land, this land is your land (everyone hug now)


The word multicultural is old hat to my generation. It's something we take for granted and accept as an absolute societal norm. Few of us can imagine living in a country that isn't filled with a wide variety of ethnicities and cultures.

Being in Korea has really made me appreciate what Canada has to offer in this area. I know that we aren't alone with this, but seeing what the complete opposite is like has given me a newfound sense of pride in the diverse nature of Canada.

Canada is home to people from all over the world and the fact that we don't have one recognizable culture and instead have dozens (if not hundreds) of different ones, is what makes us great.

Still, as my list has proven, we do have a lot in common. So everybody join together...

"Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya"

Cheers

Shayne

One more temple for the road

Recently (well, actually not recently...it's just taken us a while to get to this one), our boss, Mrs. An took us to one of the more famous temples in Korea, just outside Ulsan: Tongdosa Temple. It was originally built in the 14th century, but many parts were rebuilt in the 19th century.

The best part of the temple by far was its grounds: peaceful, big ancient trees, a babbling brook, and even a picture-perfect stone bridge:

I would have put up the shot with us on the bridge, but these folks look better, what with the parasol and all.

Going during the lead-up to Buddha's Birthday as we did, the temple was adorned with hundreds of lanterns. I wish we were there at night to see this walk-way lit-up:

As you may remember from our previous temple blogs, our favourite parts of Korean temples are the gatehouses, with their huge statues of the Heavenly Kings. This temple did not disappoint (although it was in dire need of a good dusting), and included this particularly amusing display:

I don't know what he did, but me'thinks he's going to be a toad in the next life.

Anyways, like other old Korean temples, Tongdosa had its share of colourful buildings. Following are some of the better shots to amuse and delight...

The bell-house.

A monk a'praying and a'chanting.

A view of the grounds from the shade.

Me taking a sip from the temple fountain.

Us in a beautifully laid-out courtyard.

Mrs. An learnin' Shayne a thing 'r two.

Another shot of the grounds...this time in the sun. ;-)

Now, as they were gearing up for Buddha's birthday and all, we expected to see some celebratory preparations...and we were not disappointed:

Of course, we didn't expect Buddha's birthday to be sponsored by Samsung, but then again, nothing surprises us anymore...sigh.

As we were leaving the temple, Mrs. An gave us a nice surprise: She bought us a roof tile, which we could write a message on, and which would be used the next time they roofed one of the temple buildings. Now, with our luck, this will turn out to be the public washrooms, but we'll never know the difference so it matters not. Anyways, it was a really nice gesture.

Here we are committing our message for all eternity...or until the white ink gets worn off by the elements...or until they replace the roof again...

Anyways, it was a good day, and now I think we've seen enough Korean temples to satisfy us for a lifetime. Perhaps you too, good reader, feel the same. No more temples, I promise...until we get to China.

Until next time,
Jo

Before Disneyland there was King Rock

Greetings

We said goodbye to our good friends Tim and Emily tonight. Hopefully you remember them from the numerous blogs in which they made guest appearances. They were definitely two of the nicest people we met this year and saying goodbye to them made our own looming farewell feel so much more real. I can't believe we have less than three weeks left.

Anyway, before I start blubbering all over my keyboard I suppose I'd better start this blog.

About 15 minutes from our house sits this great little park that's home to one of Ulsan's most scenic of sites. The locals refer to it as King Rock (Jo's note: apparently some ancient king turned into a dragon and buried himself under it) and although it's made a few guest appearances, it's never had its own blog (it was featured in the typhoon blog and the one with my dad). So I figured there's no time like the present to change that.

Here's the view from the hill at the beginning of the park. It shows Ilsan Beach which is much more beautiful in the picture than in real life (think too many "beachy" smells and too many nearby petro-chemical plants):



The park also includes a world class amusement park. According to ourreviewssuck.com it's rivaled only by Disneyland and Magic Mountain.

Somehow we managed to get a photo that didn't include any of the wild masses clambering to ride.


A few minutes later we had the same luck with their pirate ship:

My stomach gets queasy just looking at that beast.


Of course, what amusement park would be complete without accompanying culinary delights?

Ahh boiled corn, roasted larvae, chestnuts, and french fries. Haha, actually the fries are really yummy.


Here's a photo of me about to test my luck at the ancient Korean game of throwing darts at balloons:


And here's a shot a few minutes later where I defied all odds and managed to pop a balloon with each of my five darts (those of you who knew me in high school should know that such a thing would have been impossible mere years ago):

As you can see I was awarded with a seashell wind chime for my troubles, complete with neon pink and blue shells.

It only took a few seconds to realise that we had little use for a neon pink and blue wind chime, so Jo decided to sacrifice it to the tree Gods (Jo's note: I wanted to throw it in a trashcan, but Shayne insisted someone might see it and actually want it).



Anyway, the cornerstone of the park is a series of jagged rocks that jut out into the ocean and a nifty bridge that connects them to the mainland.

You can see this here:

and here:
and here:


What makes the place even cooler is that in the surrounding waters you can watch old grandmothers dive for clams and other sea treats.

Here you can see a couple of the grandmothers (Korean name is Har-a-mony) admiring their catch:
It's pretty inspiring to watch aged 60-plus women free-dive for clams. It certainly makes me all the more lazy when I choose to not watch TV when I discover the remote is out of my reach.


Another cool thing about the area is the sheer number of fisherman that you can see at any given time. Some of them go to great lengths to fish (as you remember one poor sap even braved the typhoon waters to do so).

I really liked this photo for some reason:


Anyway, in retrospect we probably should have gone to the park more often as it's so close and it really is a nice change from the bustling city atmosphere that surrounds our apartment. But what can ya do?

Hope this finds all of you well. You should expect a flurry of posts as we try and finish everything off before we leave.

Cheers

Shayne

A Crazy Little Town Called Pohang

Last Wednesday Shayne and I had a day off, and we decided to spend it visiting the other industrial capital of Korea: Pohang.

Pohang is about an hour or so north of Ulsan and is home to POSCO, the world's third-largest steel producer. Hmmm, world's largest ship builder, and world's third-largest steel producer: For such a small nation, Korea knows how to get it done.


Here's a view of POSCO in all its glory. There's a lot more to it, but due to the lack of both a panoramic lens and permission to enter the actual grounds, this is the best we could do.



Another view of POSCO from the outside. Apparently it's "Clean and Green". Well, if the sign says so, I'm sure it's true.


What we did have access to was the grounds of the head office, where we stumbled across a gem far better than a stinky smelter...


A tribute to rival the statuary of Rome, I should think.


Here's a better view. Note the godly magnificence of the steel workers. Frankly, this looks more like a throw-back to the days of the USSR, than something you'd find in capitalist-friendly Korea.


Anyways, on the way back across the bridge from the steel-works, we came across a group of young girls settled down for a picnic. How nice...



Not quite the pastoral scene you had in mind, eh? What possessed these girls to select this spot, I will never know.

And here they are closer up. Coke, cell phones, and what appears to be a bottle of soju. Ahh, now I know why they're under the bridge. I don't know what's wrong with the girl on the right...she's probably discovered that soju does not, in fact, taste good.


Onward and upward. Our next stop was Jukdo Market, a traditional market in the center of town. To spice this entry up with some cultural interest, I've included a few pics for your viewing pleasure...

A typical scene in any busy Korean market.

A display of ginseng.

Kimchi: would you expect anything else?

Something I will miss: one of many stalls selling grains, beans, lentils, etc.

After a few hours of hiking around the city in the hot sun, we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at TGIF's. Nope, no Korean food for us that day. I only bring this up because I wanted to show you the comically-small desert included in the lunch special...sigh, 14,000 Won doesn't buy you what it once did:

Well, that's it for Pohang. I hope once again we've satisfied your desire for insider Korean knowledge and know-how. I think we've all come away from this experience a little richer.

Until next time,
Jo