Today we did two main activities - firstly we were volunteering at a centre for the Disabled. On the bus ride over I was thrilled to see the Olympics were on the bus TV (which are huge by the way). I discovered a new appreciation for Canadian High Jump (Hi Derek! - he won gold too) but found the rest of the day we only saw previews because of the timing of our bus trips. Which was super frustrating.
The Centre for the Disabled was an interesting experience. I expected us to be assisting the workers with various tasks (such as moving items, or reading to the patients) but instead we received a tour of the facility. It was interesting to see the ways in which they worked to help fund the facility (making tissues) and how the facility gave them productive tasks. All of the patients were excited to see us walking around. Overall it was a very nice facility. We saw the sleeping facilities, workshop, kitchen and recreation areas. The only problem was the tour and videos were all in Korean, so we only really got "the jist."
Unfortunately we didn't actually DO much there. We were given fifteen minutes of interaction with the patients in which my hand was held constantly and I was fawned over and stared at for being white. They were all lovely, but it was sad we didn't get to do much more with them.
Lunch was another buffet - allegedly American food. I smelt steak the moment I walked in, but that didn't come with the buffet (much to my bitter disappointment) so I had to settle with fish and chips. I really didn't eat all that much because I wasn't hungry (super weird I know).
The rest of the day was spent at the college. We had a lecture from Teknalbder Winesberry, a Native American who had a PHD in classical music. He spoke about how his culture and history has influenced him as a person and intertwined it with performances of music - some original and some from other composers. This was facilitate our thinking of what a Global Leader was supposed to be and how culture influences us as individuals and as a team.
From there, we were put into groups where everyone was from a different background. Our task was to identify the ways in which we might bridge the gaps in a cross-cultural relationship and we had to then present a five minute creative presentation to demonstrate them. For my group, our biggest challenge were two members of our group who were not confident in the English language. I have to admit, I was feeling nervous but they both blew me away by memorising their lines within half an hour (and mind you, they wrote their lines themselves which was awesome!) I'm really glad with challenged them with having actual lines rather than minimising their involvement because they both seemed to get so much out of it.
Dinner was not to my taste so a group of us went out to the Korean BBQ again. Sophie tried to order shrimp but ended up with pork instead - we don't know how, but they later said they didn't have shrimp so who knows. We also had beef so I got my beloved steak after all!
Tomorrow is our last day at the camp - I'm excited. It's a Korean cultural experience day and I can't wait. Then sadly, we depart and then it's only a short two half days until I'm on a plane back home and suddenly I'm back at work and University. The time truly has flown.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Day 6, 7 and 8: Tours Everywhere
I'm going to put together the past three days as we did so much travelling that not a lot of things actually happened. I should also give a little background on a new friend I have made: Vincent from Taiwan. I met him during the speech contest along with his tutor -who is from Australia originally, studied at ANU and has a blue small Mohawk for hair - interesting guy. The tutor gave me some feedback regarding how fast I had talked on the first day. Vincent himself was confusing for the organisers as whilst he was representing Taiwan, he is actually originally from South Africa and, like the Canadians and Australians, European and English as a first language. Whilst he didn't make it to the Top 20, he also enjoyed himself and is talking about coming back next year.
Anyway...
We didn't have anything to do until the scheduled "brunch" at 11am, so Brit and I didn't actually get out of bed until 10:15. Well, I slept mostly all the way through but Brit had been up on and off since before 5am trying to fix our air-conditioner. Without any air conditioning, the room had become at best swampy - the air was still, hot and humid which did absolutely nothing to help my congestion. When the Korean host girls came around the make an announcement about the change of times they were shocked by how hot our room was and quickly jumped onto trying to fix the problem. That is one thing that has been very impressive about our hosts - they will always try and solve your problem immediately.
Brunch was served down the street at a buffet. That was pretty cool because they had so many different foods - including pork stir fry and fried chicken. It was nice to have some variety and the self-serving meant I could pick and chose to my hearts content. Certainly enjoyed breakfast more than I have in the past couple of days.
After brunch we walked to the monorail - that's right Sydney, they still have an operational and useful monorail - to catch it to the CBD. It was really interesting - the single trip ticket is like a casino token that you scan to enter and then drop in the slot to leave. But the monorail itself is like any other part of the train system, except it runs on a single rail above the city instead of below it on two rails.
Downtown itself was pretty standard. Lots of shops, mostly of clothes, phone cases or jewellery. It was essentially like visiting a shopping mall. It was okay - Brit enjoyed the shopping, mostly because of how cheap the clothes were. It was funny there wasn't any change rooms in any of the clothes stores. Brit was demonstrating her serious shopping skills by trying out the waist of pants by measuring it against her neck which was pretty cool. Sophie and I kind of just wandered around and tried a couple of coffee places (various cold drinks were required) and I tried every ATM I saw to no avail.
The next morning we started the actual camp. Our first job was to participate in some ice breakers. It was challenging given that our key instructor only spoke Korean and so had to be translator every time. We formed teams and were having competitions to do things such as "stand in a line youngest to oldest" - but our team was disadvantaged by the fact that we had no Korean speaker so we had to wait for the translation before we could begin - so naturally we lost all of them. But oh well, I can't win everything here.
After we finished that, we got on the bus to go to the Buddhist Temple. This temple is unique because it is a home for female monks who are completely self-sustaining. But you wouldn't recognise them as female, because like all Buddhist monks they have clean-shaven heads and look very muscular due to the labour of caring for the monastery. The monastery itself is gorgeous - painted like the palaces in Seoul due to its high status in the community. It was up a fairly secluded path through forest, which made it seem even more impressive when we arrived.
Anyway...
We didn't have anything to do until the scheduled "brunch" at 11am, so Brit and I didn't actually get out of bed until 10:15. Well, I slept mostly all the way through but Brit had been up on and off since before 5am trying to fix our air-conditioner. Without any air conditioning, the room had become at best swampy - the air was still, hot and humid which did absolutely nothing to help my congestion. When the Korean host girls came around the make an announcement about the change of times they were shocked by how hot our room was and quickly jumped onto trying to fix the problem. That is one thing that has been very impressive about our hosts - they will always try and solve your problem immediately.
Brunch was served down the street at a buffet. That was pretty cool because they had so many different foods - including pork stir fry and fried chicken. It was nice to have some variety and the self-serving meant I could pick and chose to my hearts content. Certainly enjoyed breakfast more than I have in the past couple of days.
After brunch we walked to the monorail - that's right Sydney, they still have an operational and useful monorail - to catch it to the CBD. It was really interesting - the single trip ticket is like a casino token that you scan to enter and then drop in the slot to leave. But the monorail itself is like any other part of the train system, except it runs on a single rail above the city instead of below it on two rails.
Downtown itself was pretty standard. Lots of shops, mostly of clothes, phone cases or jewellery. It was essentially like visiting a shopping mall. It was okay - Brit enjoyed the shopping, mostly because of how cheap the clothes were. It was funny there wasn't any change rooms in any of the clothes stores. Brit was demonstrating her serious shopping skills by trying out the waist of pants by measuring it against her neck which was pretty cool. Sophie and I kind of just wandered around and tried a couple of coffee places (various cold drinks were required) and I tried every ATM I saw to no avail.
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| We found a park with a couple of cool water fountains |
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| It was so hot we thought about just going for a quick splash |
After we finished that, we got on the bus to go to the Buddhist Temple. This temple is unique because it is a home for female monks who are completely self-sustaining. But you wouldn't recognise them as female, because like all Buddhist monks they have clean-shaven heads and look very muscular due to the labour of caring for the monastery. The monastery itself is gorgeous - painted like the palaces in Seoul due to its high status in the community. It was up a fairly secluded path through forest, which made it seem even more impressive when we arrived.
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| One of the small monuments on our way to the temple |
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| One of the signs on the bridge - not sure what it says |
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| I assume that when it rains the river runs through here |
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| A map of the monastery and information |
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| The top of the entrance gate |
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| One of the beautiful parts of the garden area |
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| The main temple itself - as you can see in the background we were now in a mountainous area |
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| The full entrance gate - subtle and understated |
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| Inside the main temple - we could also walk around inside instead of peering through the windows, but no photos were allowed as people were worshipping inside |
By the time we arrived at our overnight accommodation in Miryang it had started to rain. And I mean really rain. Because we were in a remote location - we were surrounded by mountains and the forest and it smelt absolutely amazing and was incredibly refreshing. We made a quick dash from the bus to accommodation, where we found a different style of college board rooms, designed for six people. From there you could almost be totally self-sufficient, with a kitchenette included and living room space and TV. Shintya and I slept in the living room area because the two sleeping rooms seemed a bit small for six people to squish in. The sleeping arrangements were similar to my Hanok experience in that each person had a mattress on the ground instead of an actual bed - but fortunately I was not sharing a bed this time.
The accommodation was pretty cool in all, including the free cafe that provided drinks for us all and also free access to the snack bar which was a good supplement for dinner. I am pretty much over even seeing Kim Chi at this point. Bring me a steak! I can't even eat Kim Chi as it is 90% garlic in the sauce.
After dinner we had a talent night. I did not perform (I have already demonstrated my single talent I have) but we were able to enjoy some traditional singing and dancing from other nations and it was an incredibly warm and supportive environment - no different to the attitude presented by the audience at the public speaking competition earlier.
Breakfast the next morning brought joy to the Chinese tutor, because we had Olympic coverage of his favourite sport - Table Tennis! And China was beating South Korea. Before we left I also managed to see a 400m women's hurdles heat (where the Jamaican runner blew up big time in the final 110m) and also a bit of slippery pole vaulting. It is so odd to be so unaware of what is happening with the Olympics - I would have thought we would be more engaged given the globalness of our group.
We were then back on the bus, arriving in Busan in time for lunch. Lunch for today was brought to us thanks to America because we were supplied by both McDonalds and Burger King. I have to admit, I was super happy to be having a meal without Kim Chi involved. After lunch, we headed down to the beach, where I demonstrated my body surfing skills and managed to get sunburnt on only the front half of my body. I should have been more careful applying sunscreen - silly Elyse.
Our return to our Daegu sleeping quarters has been uneventful. I have managed to fill our shower with sand and that's about it. We're off to volunteer at a centre for people with disabilities tomorrow. It should be an incredibly eye-opening experience.
Only four days left in Korea! How time has flown.
Our return to our Daegu sleeping quarters has been uneventful. I have managed to fill our shower with sand and that's about it. We're off to volunteer at a centre for people with disabilities tomorrow. It should be an incredibly eye-opening experience.
Only four days left in Korea! How time has flown.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Days 4 and 5: the 2nd AUAP English Speech Competition
So I woke up this morning first at some unknown hour with a new roommate coming in. Her name is Brittney and she is from Canada. Apparently they have increased the diversity for this year - which is nice. Last year Alex and I were the only two English as a first language students at the camp.Still, we didn't talk much because it was the middle of the night and I desperately needed to sleep to be ready for tomorrow's competition. We don't need a repeat of last year's exhaustion.
In the morning, Brittney and I went down for breakfast together and got to know each other. She studies nursing at college and is in her second year. But she was kind of nervous because she is quite tall and is blonde - it pleased her greatly to hear that Sophie is the same. Breakfast was...underwhelming. I didn't touch it - Kim Chi is basically cabbage in garlic and everything else I didn't like to look of (apparently it included boiled eggs in sauce). Obviously today was just a morning to go hungry. So after Brit ate we went upstairs, I practised my speech one last time (it came in at just under 5 minutes, thank goodness) and we finished getting ready for the main event. The best part was, Brit and I were ready super early and were just lounging about in our room when an announcement was made over the PA that is connected directly to our rooms (weird) and Hannah, the Korean representative from last year who remembers me, said "please be downstairs in like....right now." Definite morning highlight.
I was nervous, but I knew they were going to select a top 20 from the day's proceedings and there were only 43 competitors - surely I would be able to at least reach the top 50% of competitors. Surely.
The next highlight of the morning occurred when Dr Kim (the co-ordinator of this year's competition who recognised me the moment he introduced himself) announced that the speaking times for the prepared speeches (we have no impromptus in the first round) was actually 3-5 minutes, with a bell at 5 minutes telling you you had one minute to wrap up your speech. I don't know why I even worried last night! I had plenty of time flexibility - unlike last year.
Because the speeches were done in alphabetical order by first name - I was up fairly early. As I had suspected, most speakers spoke either about the importance of living your dreams or a story of how they had lived your dreams. Some were a mix of both. We had been told at the start that we could choose where we could stand on the stage (in the middle or behind the lectern/podium). Prior to me, everyone had spoken behind the lectern, so as I walked out on stage and stood square in the centre, without the microphone there was a distinctive "oooooh" from the stage.
I had Sophie film that performance for posterity.
What was really amusing was that once I had spoken people started speaking out in the middle of the stage, although all used the microphone (with varying degrees of success - the mic was very temperamental)
It was a pretty relaxing rest of the day. I had nothing else to worry about - having done all that I could for the day. Sophie spoke really well, had some very interesting points about the ways you could expand your dreams and look beyond cultural barriers that influence your dreams.
When the judges came to announce it was really nerve wracking. I mean, I was happy with how I went but I was worried when the judges announced that 50% weighting was on content. My speech is slightly out of the box and if the judges didn't like my interpretation of the topic I was screwed. I shouldn't have worried though - both Sophie and I made it through. Brittney didn't though sadly, although she had said she had no preparation time and hadn't ever done public speaking competitively before. But she said she actually had a great time and would want to do it again which was a great response.
That evening, Brittney, Sophie and I went back to the Korean BBQ by ourselves (without translators). We successfully ordered beef and cooked it ourselves. That evening Brit and I watched Greys Anatomy and slept very, very well.
The next morning I felt actually very relaxed, although I clearly have a bit of an upper respiratory tract infection. It's a good thing my roommate is a nurse - she'll look after me. Actually, Sophie was feeling a bit under the weather and today she is struggling way more than I am. Looks like we actually caught something together. I blame the plane personally.
Brit and I went out to grab some breakfast, knowing what would be on offer again. The chocolate milk I purchased was delicious. By the time we reached the speech contest I still wasn't that nervous. It wasn't until I was sitting down waiting for my turn that my nerves finally kicked in. It was a funny set up - we had to perform our speech a second time and then were asked two impromptus - but every speaker was in the room for each one. It was funny, but I really noticed how people followed my lead from yesterday with most finalists taking to the centre of the stage. The questions followed the same pattern:
1. Tell us a story of a time you showed ___________
2. If you were __________ what would you be?
My questions were where I overcame a weakness and if I was a time of day. I spoke about my experiences bullying and had a bit of trouble not choking up! But I was happy with having structured and logical answers that presented the creativity and insight that they had asked for yesterday afternoon.
When it came time for the judgement, everyone had been telling me all day I was going to win. I was very happy with how I had performed, but still not convinced. There had been a couple of people who struggled with the impromptus but the vast majority had done very well - Sophie included.
I shouldn't have been so nervous cause:
I WON!
Shintya made it to the Top 8, but this year we were finally split! It was so exciting, amazing...just...I am so thrilled. The judges feedback was that the raw emotion of my impromptu tipped me over the edge and the only advice they had was to consider using a microphone because it makes it easier to understand me for ESL people - something I had never thought of because I found ESL people harder to understand over the microphone.
So I'm off next year to Romania to attend a leadership camp thanks to AUAP. The only thing I didn't get was a trophy - maybe need to ask about that. But I have a giant cardboard sign! So that's cool.
Since my speeches I have been adopted by the Philippino delegates to come speak at their university and received so many handshakes and hugs, a zillion photos. People are just calling me "the champion" which is pretty cool.
Dinner was the same Korean BBQ - mix of pork and beef this time. I learnt how to say pork in Korean so we could order it (the word for meat sounds like Corgi! Haha!) and Brit and I enjoyed some raspberry sorbet and more Grey's Anatomy. We're pretty tired so are looking forward to an obligation free day tomorrow. Although for some reason our air-conditioning won't turn on.
In the morning, Brittney and I went down for breakfast together and got to know each other. She studies nursing at college and is in her second year. But she was kind of nervous because she is quite tall and is blonde - it pleased her greatly to hear that Sophie is the same. Breakfast was...underwhelming. I didn't touch it - Kim Chi is basically cabbage in garlic and everything else I didn't like to look of (apparently it included boiled eggs in sauce). Obviously today was just a morning to go hungry. So after Brit ate we went upstairs, I practised my speech one last time (it came in at just under 5 minutes, thank goodness) and we finished getting ready for the main event. The best part was, Brit and I were ready super early and were just lounging about in our room when an announcement was made over the PA that is connected directly to our rooms (weird) and Hannah, the Korean representative from last year who remembers me, said "please be downstairs in like....right now." Definite morning highlight.
I was nervous, but I knew they were going to select a top 20 from the day's proceedings and there were only 43 competitors - surely I would be able to at least reach the top 50% of competitors. Surely.
The next highlight of the morning occurred when Dr Kim (the co-ordinator of this year's competition who recognised me the moment he introduced himself) announced that the speaking times for the prepared speeches (we have no impromptus in the first round) was actually 3-5 minutes, with a bell at 5 minutes telling you you had one minute to wrap up your speech. I don't know why I even worried last night! I had plenty of time flexibility - unlike last year.
Because the speeches were done in alphabetical order by first name - I was up fairly early. As I had suspected, most speakers spoke either about the importance of living your dreams or a story of how they had lived your dreams. Some were a mix of both. We had been told at the start that we could choose where we could stand on the stage (in the middle or behind the lectern/podium). Prior to me, everyone had spoken behind the lectern, so as I walked out on stage and stood square in the centre, without the microphone there was a distinctive "oooooh" from the stage.
I had Sophie film that performance for posterity.
What was really amusing was that once I had spoken people started speaking out in the middle of the stage, although all used the microphone (with varying degrees of success - the mic was very temperamental)
It was a pretty relaxing rest of the day. I had nothing else to worry about - having done all that I could for the day. Sophie spoke really well, had some very interesting points about the ways you could expand your dreams and look beyond cultural barriers that influence your dreams.
When the judges came to announce it was really nerve wracking. I mean, I was happy with how I went but I was worried when the judges announced that 50% weighting was on content. My speech is slightly out of the box and if the judges didn't like my interpretation of the topic I was screwed. I shouldn't have worried though - both Sophie and I made it through. Brittney didn't though sadly, although she had said she had no preparation time and hadn't ever done public speaking competitively before. But she said she actually had a great time and would want to do it again which was a great response.
That evening, Brittney, Sophie and I went back to the Korean BBQ by ourselves (without translators). We successfully ordered beef and cooked it ourselves. That evening Brit and I watched Greys Anatomy and slept very, very well.
The next morning I felt actually very relaxed, although I clearly have a bit of an upper respiratory tract infection. It's a good thing my roommate is a nurse - she'll look after me. Actually, Sophie was feeling a bit under the weather and today she is struggling way more than I am. Looks like we actually caught something together. I blame the plane personally.
Brit and I went out to grab some breakfast, knowing what would be on offer again. The chocolate milk I purchased was delicious. By the time we reached the speech contest I still wasn't that nervous. It wasn't until I was sitting down waiting for my turn that my nerves finally kicked in. It was a funny set up - we had to perform our speech a second time and then were asked two impromptus - but every speaker was in the room for each one. It was funny, but I really noticed how people followed my lead from yesterday with most finalists taking to the centre of the stage. The questions followed the same pattern:
1. Tell us a story of a time you showed ___________
2. If you were __________ what would you be?
My questions were where I overcame a weakness and if I was a time of day. I spoke about my experiences bullying and had a bit of trouble not choking up! But I was happy with having structured and logical answers that presented the creativity and insight that they had asked for yesterday afternoon.
When it came time for the judgement, everyone had been telling me all day I was going to win. I was very happy with how I had performed, but still not convinced. There had been a couple of people who struggled with the impromptus but the vast majority had done very well - Sophie included.
I shouldn't have been so nervous cause:
I WON!
Shintya made it to the Top 8, but this year we were finally split! It was so exciting, amazing...just...I am so thrilled. The judges feedback was that the raw emotion of my impromptu tipped me over the edge and the only advice they had was to consider using a microphone because it makes it easier to understand me for ESL people - something I had never thought of because I found ESL people harder to understand over the microphone.
So I'm off next year to Romania to attend a leadership camp thanks to AUAP. The only thing I didn't get was a trophy - maybe need to ask about that. But I have a giant cardboard sign! So that's cool.
Since my speeches I have been adopted by the Philippino delegates to come speak at their university and received so many handshakes and hugs, a zillion photos. People are just calling me "the champion" which is pretty cool.
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| 1st place and a Top 20 ! |
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| The Top 8 and the judges |
Dinner was the same Korean BBQ - mix of pork and beef this time. I learnt how to say pork in Korean so we could order it (the word for meat sounds like Corgi! Haha!) and Brit and I enjoyed some raspberry sorbet and more Grey's Anatomy. We're pretty tired so are looking forward to an obligation free day tomorrow. Although for some reason our air-conditioning won't turn on.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Day 3: Leaving Seoul on a Bullet Train
You ever had a day where almost anything that can go wrong will?
Today we didn't have anything planned specifically, I bounded out of bed early, having already packed last night and I was out the door, checked out before Sophie was even out of bed. Unfortunately, nothing opens in Seoul for breakfast until 7:30, and even then the bakeries were still only stocking sandwiches. So I found my way down to the main palace area and scoped out the area. I found a chocolate cafe which I unfortunately wasn't able to get back to. None the less, I managed to finally get myself some breakfast (a bagel! yay!) and then bought tickets for the palace, ready for the changing of the guard.
And it was at 9:28am, two minutes before the changing of the guard began that I realised I was at the wrong palace. So I took a quick look around, got some photos, then bolted to the subway station to get to the correct palace in time to catch the end of the military training session. So I got my tickets and entered inside - only to discover that the changing of the guard happened outside the building. So I had to watch that from through the gates. But that was okay - you could see most things that were going on and could hear the commentary. It was pretty impressive.
It took a while for the tour to start, all the while the intense heat of the day was beating down on the courtyard. Sitting in the shade was lovely, but I knew the heat would eventually get to me today. I keep forgetting to carry water with me and it isn't easy to come by in this country.
The tour itself was wonderful, we visited a number of sites within the palace including the coronation building, primary office quarters, the banquet hall (which I could have gone into if I had booked in advance), Kings Quarters, Queens Quarters and the Back Garden. All extremely beautiful. Unfortunately, a lot of the buildings are not the originals, as the Palace was destroyed by Japanese Colonial invaders during the early 1900s and also damaged during the Korean War. The Government is currently funding reconstruction to restore the palace to its former glory - which involves the construction of hundreds of buildings.
After the tour I got lost a little bit inside the grounds - but fortunately managed to locate a shop where I could buy some water. The line was huge. Obviously I wasn't the only one suffering. After two bottles of coolness I felt good enough to venture outside and find my way to my next tour. Unfortunately I didn't realise the tour for the Presidential House started actually right next to the Palace I was at (I blame the heat and my disorganisation). So instead I followed the guide on the website and ended up being given instructions by the police guards of The Blue House on where to go. I found my way to the parking lot grabbed lunch (a bottle of Sprite) and enjoyed the coolness of their lounge before the tour began.
When I arrived at The Blue House I was pulled aside and asked for my passport. In exchange they handed my an audio guide - because the tour is exclusively conducted in Korean. It was also full of small children, so I guess it was like going to Parliament House in Canberra. It was uncomfortable to let my passport go - but they were police and it was the President's House so...
There were only two places where you could get photos in the President's house - but the space was amazing. It is gorgeous, steeped in history and immaculately cared for. Absolutely beautiful.
It took half an hour after the tour ended for the shuttle bus to take us back to the parking lot and the subway. So I texted Sophie and arranged to meet her at the subway with our bags so we could get to Seoul Station as quick as possible. Fortunately, that all went to plan and we easily got "standing" tickets and were on the train in seats quickly. Sophie slept (again) but otherwise the journey was uneventful. It took us a while to find our meet-up, but eventually we made our way to the college. When I got there, one of the girls who is organising us was the Korean competitor from last year! That was so exciting to see.
We missed out on dinner by about 15 minutes, so had to settle with heading across the road for a Korean BBQ. It was awesome - cook yourself pork and a whole bunch of sides (none of which I ate, ha!). There was also baseball on the TV. Sophie and I ate and enjoyed the company of two other Korean girls who were our translators and guides. Upon our arrival back at the dorm we discovered a number of things:
1. There are a few repeat offenders, including the girl I got equal third with from last year
2. There are no towels, no toilet paper and no rubbish bins supplied (good thing I have friends in high places and brought my beach towel)
3. I am male (apparently) - my roommate walked in and was a young man from Indonesia. Understandably very shocked. When we checked out what was going on it turned out the registration had put me down as male. This was sorted very quickly.
4. My speech is clocking in at 4:30 - which is scarily under-time....tonight is going to be a long and very stressful night.
Today we didn't have anything planned specifically, I bounded out of bed early, having already packed last night and I was out the door, checked out before Sophie was even out of bed. Unfortunately, nothing opens in Seoul for breakfast until 7:30, and even then the bakeries were still only stocking sandwiches. So I found my way down to the main palace area and scoped out the area. I found a chocolate cafe which I unfortunately wasn't able to get back to. None the less, I managed to finally get myself some breakfast (a bagel! yay!) and then bought tickets for the palace, ready for the changing of the guard.
And it was at 9:28am, two minutes before the changing of the guard began that I realised I was at the wrong palace. So I took a quick look around, got some photos, then bolted to the subway station to get to the correct palace in time to catch the end of the military training session. So I got my tickets and entered inside - only to discover that the changing of the guard happened outside the building. So I had to watch that from through the gates. But that was okay - you could see most things that were going on and could hear the commentary. It was pretty impressive.
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| Some accommodation for guards at the wrong palace |
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| The bridge over the moat at the wrong palace |
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| Main building of the wrong palace |
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| In the courtyard of the right palace - this drum was used as part of the changing of the guard ceremony |
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| My view of the Changing of the Guard ceremony - it was very intricate and took a long time |
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| Coronation Building of the correct palace - looks like two stories, but just high ceiling. |
The tour itself was wonderful, we visited a number of sites within the palace including the coronation building, primary office quarters, the banquet hall (which I could have gone into if I had booked in advance), Kings Quarters, Queens Quarters and the Back Garden. All extremely beautiful. Unfortunately, a lot of the buildings are not the originals, as the Palace was destroyed by Japanese Colonial invaders during the early 1900s and also damaged during the Korean War. The Government is currently funding reconstruction to restore the palace to its former glory - which involves the construction of hundreds of buildings.
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| Dragons on the ceiling of the coronation building |
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| The painting behind the throne symbolises the need to rule all of Korea (the five mountains in north, south, east, west and centre) |
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| Some dragons fighting in the coronation hall |
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| The Banquet Hall - you can stand on the second level if you book in advance |
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| The gazebo in the back garden in the middle of a lake |
When I arrived at The Blue House I was pulled aside and asked for my passport. In exchange they handed my an audio guide - because the tour is exclusively conducted in Korean. It was also full of small children, so I guess it was like going to Parliament House in Canberra. It was uncomfortable to let my passport go - but they were police and it was the President's House so...
There were only two places where you could get photos in the President's house - but the space was amazing. It is gorgeous, steeped in history and immaculately cared for. Absolutely beautiful.
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| The House of the President of South Korea - the Blue House (cause of the roof, duh) |
We missed out on dinner by about 15 minutes, so had to settle with heading across the road for a Korean BBQ. It was awesome - cook yourself pork and a whole bunch of sides (none of which I ate, ha!). There was also baseball on the TV. Sophie and I ate and enjoyed the company of two other Korean girls who were our translators and guides. Upon our arrival back at the dorm we discovered a number of things:
1. There are a few repeat offenders, including the girl I got equal third with from last year
2. There are no towels, no toilet paper and no rubbish bins supplied (good thing I have friends in high places and brought my beach towel)
3. I am male (apparently) - my roommate walked in and was a young man from Indonesia. Understandably very shocked. When we checked out what was going on it turned out the registration had put me down as male. This was sorted very quickly.
4. My speech is clocking in at 4:30 - which is scarily under-time....tonight is going to be a long and very stressful night.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Day 2: It's fun to stay at the DMZ!
So last night I discovered what it is like to sleep on less than half a bed. Thanks Sophie for almost elbowing me in the face in the middle of the night too! I now understand why my parents say never to buy a double bed for two people - there is not enough room, particularly in a humid area such as this.
Morning came and we had a quick breakfast before getting picked up for our tour of the Demilitarised Zone and Joint Security Area. We met a nice couple from Oklahoma who worked at a University over there - the lady worked in Nutrition Research and had just been at a conference. But Sophie and I started to notice that a lot of people on our tour weren't dressed to the regulations and no one seemed to mind. This was a touch perplexing.
Our first stop on the tour was a lookout post, which also included the Freedom Bridge and the Peace Bell. This place served as a memorial to the lives lost during the Korean War, but also hope for the future and the reunification of Korea. What I found most interesting about today in general was the way the tour guides spoke of North Korea and the goal of reunification. In many ways, it did sound like their own version of propaganda - however good their intentions may be. Certainly the goal of reunification of Korea was a running theme for today.
Our second stop on the tour was the 3rd infiltration tunnel. This tunnel, and it's three siblings, were constructed after the ceasefire agreement and the Military Demarcation Line was established as a way of conducting a surprise attack on the South. We were able to enter the third tunnel and see the evidence of man-made construction. The North had argued it was a disused coal mine, except the rock formations contain no coal. So the North painted some of the rocks black to pretend it was coal. Other evidence all included signs of dynamite usage - showing it could not have naturally formed.
The tunnel itself was very interesting, but to get down to it, you had to walk nearly 400m down a steep slope, which was also very wet. It was quite challenging to climb down and seemed to take forever. Once we got down there, I was very amused by the size of the tunnel. We had been told on the surface that it was built for North Korean sized people - so to anticipate that we would be too short. However, for most of the tunnel I could stand up perfectly fine. Any time the roof was too low, I only had to slouch. For once there has been an advantage to my lack of height.
Our next stop was an observation tower which allowed us to see across the MDL into North Korea. We could see their propaganda village, which is the pretend town the North Koreans have build to show how good life is in North Korea and also includes a 160m tall flag tower, that dwarfs the 100m tall flag tower in the South Korean Freedom Village. The South Korean Freedom Village is inside the DMZ and as such, none of the civilians there are actually subjects of South Korea. As such, they are not able to be conscripted into the military and pay no taxes. The downside being that they have to follow the strict military protocols for the DMZ. From the observation area you could also see the bare hills, stripped due to the need for firewood in North Korea, as well as an old factory that used to operate within the DMZ as a shared facility - South Korea owned the infrastructure and North Korea provided the labour. With the souring of relations between the two countries, this project has ceased.
After the observation tower we went and visited the last train station in South Korea. Built in 2002, it represents the dream of a unified Korea. The dream is to one day have a train line that runs from South Korea to Europe and Asia. However, until relations between the North and the rest of the world are fixed, this will not happen. None the less, the train station remains, ready for the day the railroad can operate. It was quite amusing actually to see the sign "Line to Pyeongyang" given how the current state of affairs is.
After we got onto the bus it was revealed that only 18 members of the tour were actually going to the JSA. Sophie and I were two of them. For lunch, we had what was very similar to Sukiyaki that I had in Japan - mystery meat boiled in a pot with vegetables, and a whole bunch of side dishes. It was good, excited a bit spicy when you got to the bottom of the dish. There was chaos and confusion at lunch after one of the tour guides put people at the wrong table or something - what was wrong was never quite made clear, but it made our new JSA tour guide very stressed and shouty which was interesting.
When we got on the bus they made a comment about the dress code and a few people pipped up and said they didn't know. That led to a whole 'nother bout of chaos at the briefing centre when they couldn't find proper shoes for one girl. Apparently some travel agents don't tell you everything - although I was surprised by how some of the people were dressed - it was very sloppy, even for being on holidays (maybe my mother just raised me funny.)
Being inside the JSA is kind of a bit stressful, because at any moment things could become bad. If you want to know - have a google of the Ax Murder Incident - where two soldiers were killed because they tried to cut down a tree inside the complex. It's a pretty startling reminder that you are inside a country that is very much at war. You can't have your phone on and check messages nor take photos pretty much anywhere. Anywhere you can, there is a strict time limit and you are told exactly what you can and cannot photograph. That being said, it is an amazing place to go and see what lengths you have to go to to prevent all out war.
We were dropped back in Seoul at the Myeongdong shopping district - which I think really underwhelmed Sophie and I. Mind you, Sophie had been sleeping all day (like she didn't get enough sleep last night - Ha!) and she said later she hadn't been feeling all that great. We visited Uniqlo and I searched for an ATM that would give me cash - they all kept rejected my card and I only had about 11,000 won ($12) left. Stress! Fortunately a lot of places take card for payment. Giving up on shopping and an ATM, we visited Deoksugung Palace - which is beautiful!
Grabbed a quick bite to eat on our way home. I had one last ditch effort at an ATM at the corner store right near our accommodation and what luck! It works! I am super relieved and will be grabbing some more cash tomorrow morning because I don't know when I will find another ATM that will comply with my wishes.
It's been a big day and tomorrow proves to be a bigger challenge as we pack our bags and head off to Daegu for the big event. And guess who doesn't know their speech yet?
Morning came and we had a quick breakfast before getting picked up for our tour of the Demilitarised Zone and Joint Security Area. We met a nice couple from Oklahoma who worked at a University over there - the lady worked in Nutrition Research and had just been at a conference. But Sophie and I started to notice that a lot of people on our tour weren't dressed to the regulations and no one seemed to mind. This was a touch perplexing.
Our first stop on the tour was a lookout post, which also included the Freedom Bridge and the Peace Bell. This place served as a memorial to the lives lost during the Korean War, but also hope for the future and the reunification of Korea. What I found most interesting about today in general was the way the tour guides spoke of North Korea and the goal of reunification. In many ways, it did sound like their own version of propaganda - however good their intentions may be. Certainly the goal of reunification of Korea was a running theme for today.
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| A memorial for the refugees from North Korea and what they have lost |
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| One of the beautiful gardens in this memorial area |
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| An art wall, full of reunification drawings |
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| A locomotive that was destroyed by North Korean bombing at the start of the war |
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| Freedom bridge disappearing off into North Korea |
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| The peace wall - made up from rocks from different areas of conflicts around the world |
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| The Korean Peace Bell |
The tunnel itself was very interesting, but to get down to it, you had to walk nearly 400m down a steep slope, which was also very wet. It was quite challenging to climb down and seemed to take forever. Once we got down there, I was very amused by the size of the tunnel. We had been told on the surface that it was built for North Korean sized people - so to anticipate that we would be too short. However, for most of the tunnel I could stand up perfectly fine. Any time the roof was too low, I only had to slouch. For once there has been an advantage to my lack of height.
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| Above ground - a sign to remind us of where we were |
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| A statue symbolising the hope for reunification |
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| Not sure why a FIFA soccer ball was in the toilet block - but it was |
Our next stop was an observation tower which allowed us to see across the MDL into North Korea. We could see their propaganda village, which is the pretend town the North Koreans have build to show how good life is in North Korea and also includes a 160m tall flag tower, that dwarfs the 100m tall flag tower in the South Korean Freedom Village. The South Korean Freedom Village is inside the DMZ and as such, none of the civilians there are actually subjects of South Korea. As such, they are not able to be conscripted into the military and pay no taxes. The downside being that they have to follow the strict military protocols for the DMZ. From the observation area you could also see the bare hills, stripped due to the need for firewood in North Korea, as well as an old factory that used to operate within the DMZ as a shared facility - South Korea owned the infrastructure and North Korea provided the labour. With the souring of relations between the two countries, this project has ceased.
 |
| Look at that view! |
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| Last train to Pyeongyang.... |
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| The Piano of Peace - looks like a standard piano |
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| No strings, only barbed wire |
When we got on the bus they made a comment about the dress code and a few people pipped up and said they didn't know. That led to a whole 'nother bout of chaos at the briefing centre when they couldn't find proper shoes for one girl. Apparently some travel agents don't tell you everything - although I was surprised by how some of the people were dressed - it was very sloppy, even for being on holidays (maybe my mother just raised me funny.)
Being inside the JSA is kind of a bit stressful, because at any moment things could become bad. If you want to know - have a google of the Ax Murder Incident - where two soldiers were killed because they tried to cut down a tree inside the complex. It's a pretty startling reminder that you are inside a country that is very much at war. You can't have your phone on and check messages nor take photos pretty much anywhere. Anywhere you can, there is a strict time limit and you are told exactly what you can and cannot photograph. That being said, it is an amazing place to go and see what lengths you have to go to to prevent all out war.
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| In the conference room with one of the South Korean military guards - who stands "ready" for combat at any moment |
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| The line between North and South Korea. Technically I crossed it, but I was inside a South Korean building so I was ok |
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| The conference table. The microphones record 24/7 and fall on the Military Demarcation Line (so anyone on the other side in this picture is TECHNICALLY in North Korea) |
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| Looking into North Korean side of the Joint Security Area |
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| We found this thing - you couldn't go over to it and I have no idea what it was...but it's pretty! |
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| The Coronation Building of the Deoksugung Palace |
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| One of the engraved stones on the way up to the Coronation Building |
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| Inside the Coronation Building |
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| A very ornate water feature. |
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| One of the wings of the palace. It was built in Western style because the King of the day liked it |
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| The time is.....nothing1 |
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| One of the gates that has been relocated. Now contains a bell |
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| And this "rocket launcher" that could shoot over 100 arrows thanks to gunpowder |
It's been a big day and tomorrow proves to be a bigger challenge as we pack our bags and head off to Daegu for the big event. And guess who doesn't know their speech yet?
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