Monday, October 23, 2006

Exercise Mountain

Hope you like mountains. That's what I've taken the most pictures of, to be sure. Featured in this post is the mountain behind my house, Seokkap San; aka Tiny Mountain; aka Exercise Mountain.

It's an odd little thing. It doesn't take much time to walk up, and a good part of it is paved. On each side of the trail you'll find a small farm plots rubbing up against tombstones and burial mounds. The mounds, at least, are hundreds of years old. Here's a little explanation: and here's what you might stumble onto if wander off the path a few feet:
So. After fifteen or twenty minutes of dodging modest spring onion plots and ancient burial mounds, one is rewarded with...periwinkle exercise equipment! And it's usually pretty jammin' with well-appointed Koreans: kids, moms, and men of a certain age and station (early retirees?; men of leisure?). I took this picture on an off day, I guess. This kind of installation is pretty typical of the hills and mountains around here, I think -- even on the big ones. A few of the expats have lamented the fact that they can't seen to truly lose themselves in the mountains around here. There may be a vending machine around the next bend in the trail.

And if Seokkap San is any indication, their disappointment is justified. Just around the corner from the exercise bikes, up a small rise and too the left, there's a food cart not unlike what one might find on any street corner, selling vitamin drinks, soup, and pressed-fish-on-sticks for any Korean soccer mom that has worked up an appetite on the beautiful blue leg press machine.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Caesar's Palace



I guess I'll just start with the view from my window. I live in West Jinju Si (city), in a building called Caesar's Palace. It's a nice, new building, and you're looking at the edge of the good part of town. Just out of town is the resevoir, Water Museum, modest zoo, and bungee jump. I haven't been to the mountains you see in the distance quite yet. But I've been to the one behind my building (next post; it's pretty great).

Jinju is a nice town. It's easy to get around in, and most of the people seem to've figured out how to work hard while taking it easy at the same time. In fact, the only people who seem to be truly stressed out are the Korean English teachers who, at my school, work from about 2 or 3 pm to 1 am six nights a week. [Don't worry Mom, that ain't my schedule.]

At times it seems as if the place is being invaded by English language academies (or hogwans). It sometimes seems, as well, as if there are more kids (shouting "Hi" or "how are you, I am fine") than adults. We foreign teachers are minor local celebrities, curiosities, pests and buffoons all rolled into one.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Nice to Meet You



Hello. Nice to meet you. How are you? I am fine.