Most notably, last weekend we took a trip to the next nearest city, Suncheon. Suncheon is significantly bigger than Goheung and made us glad to be in such a small, quiet place most of the time. Suncheon did boast one of the most impressive parks I've ever visited though. It was a collection of gardens, each styled after a different world culture, bridges, ponds, and even short hikes up a small mountain which had an impressive view from the top. We paid an ₩8,000 entrance fee (which would be just under $8 in the States) and spent the next five hours walking the grounds. It was absolutely massive and we managed to not see it all before we were very tired and needed to leave for dinner. The last thing we did was to ride the "sky rail," an individual rail car that had a 3km loop for viewing the garden and adjoining rice fields from above. For dinner we had arranged to meet some of the other foreign English teachers, both newly arrived and those who had been in country for a number of years, for a meet an greet over dinner and then drinks. It was really nice to be able to connect with other foreigners, many of which were American, though there were South African, Scottish, English, and others there as well. I am posting a handful of pictures below of the gardens. Most people here use parasols in the summer to keep off the sun, so, you'll notice, we had to make do with my umbrella, which proved stylish and effective.
As for adventures around Goheung, my days have been spent wandering around getting to know the area. We frequent a PC방 (a Korean computer room used mostly for playing video games) shaped like a castle after Jamie gets off work. During the day I have a favorite street that I walk down daily for groceries, the nail salon, the coffee shop, clothes, the bookstore, or lunch. The street is just a couple blocks from the house and is so narrow that only one car may pass at a time and there are no sidewalks. I haven't made close friends yet, but it feels good that people have begun to recognize me and bow as I walk by. And no, that's not weird. We bow here the way we wave hello in the States. It's simply a gesture to say hi or a sign of respect. Beyond that street, I braved the traditional market finally. It is the largest place to buy food here (a few blocks long and wide). It is all out in the open like a farmers market, except no one has tables so it's all on the ground. Every few meters smells very strongly of fish, but you get used to that. This is, after all, a fishing and farming area. I successfully purchased one carrot, 30 eggs, and a bag of garlic before retreating to our apartment for a nap. It's amazing how exhausting an hour of confusion and staring can be. To see the results of my market spoils, check out the pictures below. I made my first 김밥 (kimbap) with it, which was pretty successful. Kimbap is similar to sushi but without raw fish and including pickled radish. I hear that Japan and Korea argue over who first invented it. In my opinion, however, they are different enough that it's hardly the same food aside from the shape and the rice.
Hope everyone has a great week, and happy September!
-Katy
Food looks good.
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