Now that I no longer have to be wrapped up like a mummy every time I step outside, the itch to get out an see Korea had gotten really strong. I've spent the past few weekends getting in touch with nature. One day, I made like a Korean and I climbed a mountain.
That's right; I climbed a mountain!
Mt. Munsu (먼수산) is a very small mountain but let's not quibble over a few kilometers. It was a really cool experience. I fluttered between feeling completely exhilarated and completely miserable the entire way up. The view and feeling of accomplishment were totally worth the pain and sweat though. I'm now on a mountain climbing kick. I hope to conquer a few of the other peaks in the area before the unbearable heat of summer descends.
(Click on the images to make them bigger.)
Photo credit/ Jeff Colonel
There's this little village at the base of 먼수산 that has small farms, oddly modern houses,
and a nice restaurant where I used the bathroom twice.
Photo credit/ Jeff Colonel
Photo credit/ Jeff Colonel
A peek inside one of the many greenhouses that dot the Korean countryside.
Photo credit/ Jeff Colonel
About 2/3 of the way to the summit.
Photo credit/ Jeff Colonel
These beautiful lanterns hanging at a temple near the top of the
mountain were to celebrate Budda's birthday.
Photo credit/ Fawn
Waygooks at the top.
Photo credit/ Jeff Colonel
Hanging out in the bamboo forest on the descent.
More on my other late-April/ early-May adventures soon!
Also, I'm stealing this idea from another American blogger in Korea. I'm going to start ending my posts with a Korean language footnote. You followers will pick up Korean in no time! I'll give you the English translation followed by the Korean word and then a simple pronunciation guide.
______________________________________________________________ Korean vocab:Mountain/산 /SAN
I've been lazy about checking American news, but I happened to pop onto NYTimes.com before work yesterday. I almost didn't know that OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD, in spite of that being the only topic for American new sources.
As an American, I know I'm expected to feel something about his killing. It seems anti-climactic to me though. Perhaps because it took 10 years. Or, because I'm half a world away from the places that it matters. In Korea, no one cares. Or at least, I don't know that they care because of the language barrier and the fact that I've put my TV in my closet. I'm an apathetic American at this moment. If I feel anything, it's mild disgust.
The way the media is projecting this, the way our president speaks of this "mission", it's very political stunty and a little bit slimy. Obama is trying to win an election so I understand why he wants to hype this up. Seriously though, check out how many times he says "I" in this clip: http://youtu.be/K8j8LpwDo7Q
If Obama didn't win the popular vote in the last 48 hours I'll be surprised, although I don't think he deserves it for this reason.
I hate that this is another excuse to confuse terrorists and the entire Islamic faith. However PC people pretend to be their still making ignorant comments and fearing fellow Americans who happen to be Muslim. I've seen so many misguided Facebook statuses today that I've stopped looking at the News Feed.
I have only seen glimpses of the aftermath of this announcement but I haven't liked what I've seen. There is no question that Bin Laden was a bad man, did terrible things, and even deserved to die. I wonder, though, if dancing in the streets really an appropriate reaction to his death. Isn't it little gross to rejoice in the death of another human being even if he is an enemy? Shouldn't this news be taken with sober relief or just acceptance? I can't say for certain, but the that fact that I question it makes me think there is something wrong here.
I can understand a joyful reaction from people who lost loved ones on 9/11 or who have been risking their lives in uniform to find this man. I imagine it's a kind of closure for them, and I don't begrudge them that. I don't mean to belittle this for those who have been affected by Bin Laden's actions and directions. However, to see people that I went to school with in the mid-west, people who haven't followed the story for 10 years, who can only give the barest details about what the American War on Terror is about, people who have only felt the impact of the entire conflict at airport security making this into a personal victory just rubs me the wrong way.
I understand that a man is to be excited by the successes of his country in spite of his direct involvement. Patriotism and all that. But we didn't win the war. One man is dead but there are still hundreds of Americans risking their lives on foreign soil everyday. It's not over. And I don't feel certain that anyone is any safer than they were two days ago. I wonder, is the average American truly excited by this one man's death or are they actually excited that there is something else to talk about besides the economy?
Again, this is my perspective from my tiny apartment in Ulsan, South Korea where all is quiet and the closest encounter with a terrorist is that annoying dog that lives next door. Well, there's Kim Jong-Il too but South Koreans don't take him seriously either. My isolation has perhaps skewed my vision a bit. I don't pretend to be super informed on this subject. This is what I've been thinking about as I've been researching it over that past couple of days. What do you think? Tell me what it looks like from your side of the screen.
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