Gyeonggi Province's Cheongpyeong Lake

Driving for an hour heading east of the Korean peninsula, and into Gyeonggi Province's Gapyeong County, my colleagues and I stumbled into the Cheongpyeong Lake, which is much like Lake Placid without the monster crocodile. Hahaha!

But even with the monsoon rains trying to spoil what's left of the summer, we stopped at a river resort inappropriately named, Maison de Bali, which would make one think of the open sea. Instead, it was a lake where we had to make do with the boat rides, food and singing overnight.


The banana boat and fly fish boat rides were fun as the speed boat driver naughtily snagged the banana boat during the ride to force the occupants into the cold river. Even more fun as I caught on video the girls' banana boat ride as they fell off into the river screaming! Nobody was brave enough to try to water ski though. The brown, murky waters were discouraging, not to mention the embarrassment if you fall.

And dinner was tempting and diet-ruining. With all the meat, chicken and pork grilled right before you, who can resist? And everyone else was delirious with all the drinking. And of course, the morning after saw lots of hangover.

Oh well. Though not Bali, the Moonsoon de Bali, er, rather Maison de Bali experience was better than a boring summer weekend.

Ciao!

This blogsite got me a free MP3 Player!

A surprise email from the Korea Tourism Organization on a Monday afternoon, telling me that I should expect an MP3 player in return for my efforts on blogging about Korea! I think I should have deserved more. Hahaha!


Oh well. I'm not really an MP3 player person as I don't want to stick something into my ears and block out the world while running, strolling or making my way around the world. I'd rather listen to the sounds of the universe.


Perhaps a new laptop would have been nicer! Hahaha!


http://www.prkorea.com/metablogen/event/result.html


Ciao.

Rafting in the Korean Summer!

       (Our rafting guide teaching us the basics)

It was a very sunny day when we ventured out of Seoul, onto the sleepy county of Cheorwon, where the Hantan River, in Gangwon Province, meanders from its source in North Korea. (Yes! From North Korea, where only they know what -or who- they threw into the river! Hahaha!) Hantan River, an average-sized river with cool but murky brown waters wide enough to accommodate several rafts and its boisterous passengers.


But it's not the rafting as serious as what Meryl Streep did in 'River Wild', where she conquered the 'Gauntlet', the rapids where three rivers converged turning the pool into a deadly whirl pool much like a giant washing machine minus your dirty laundry. Well, if you remember this movie -- we did nothing like that. Hahaha! Those types of rivers are for Olympians. We were just city slickers trying to have fun in the Korean countryside.

(Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream...)

Before we got into our raft, our Korean guide/instructor enumerated the do's and dont's of rafting, which we all tried to remember, even if we couldn't understand Korean: (1) Row in unison with everybody. If you don't, you will be thrown overboard; (2) Be nice to everybody. If you are not, you will also be thrown overboard; and (3) If you fall off the raft, just stay calm and somebody will fish you out somewhere in the Yellow Sea. That is, if somebody remembers to. Hahaha!


With an oar in hand, life vest on, legs strapped and a camera around my neck, off I joined Wei-nee, Delphine, Zach and some other friends to cruise the Hantan River, splashing the other rafters with our oars, pulling out a couple of guys from a capsized raft and enjoying the view, the coolness of the water, while giving our arms a much needed workout with rowing.

No wonder Meryl Streep was able to navigate the Gauntlet even with a gun pointed at her. Rafting is such fun especially with these rapids, tumbling along the river and even causing a few to capsize!


Thanks to the Dicapac waterproof case. I was able to take lots of photos and a video! I will definitely bring it again next time!

         (A splashing war against another boat!)

Here's the video:

The New International Food Lane in My Neighborhood, Hannam-dong

I have lived in Hannam-dong in Yongsan-gu in Seoul, for five years now, and have liked this neighborhood because it's quiet with no flashy neon signs along the main street. It's also very accessible to and from Gangnam, Myeongdong and basically, the rest of Seoul!


But the two best reasons of living in Hannam-dong are: Everyday, I get to enjoy the view of Namsan all year round - especially in the fall with all its colors! And the other reason is that it's close to Itaewon!


I have never considered Hannam-dong as an international food scene. Hannam-dong is simply known as Seoul's version of the Embassy Row, where embassies of different countries and their diplomats live. And most of them reside at the UN Village, which is, perhaps, Hannam-dong's most famous landmark (Dankook University used to be the landmark before it transferred its campus).


Before, restaurants with non-Korean menus were limited. But lately, there seems to be a changing of the food scene in my neighborhood. For the past months, new restaurants have opened business (and their menus) in Hannam-dong, which is a delight to those living in the neighborhood (expats, Koreans and me!), as well as for those living in the nearby areas.


Restaurants like the Banana Grill (sandwiches and hamburgers), Slow Kitchen (rich paired with chicken, etc.), O' Taco (burritos and tacos), Sujus (barbecues, rice, noodles, hummus, etc.), Naked Grill (salads, hamburgers, pasta), and soon, Beluca's table, are giving everybody (including my palate!) lots of choices when it comes to satisfying one's craving for something different.


These restaurants join the 'oldies' in the neighborhood such as Due Cose (Italian), Shaboo-Shaboo, Puffin Cafe (western), Western China (Chinese, of course!), Chakraa (Indian) and New York Steakhouse.


One can now walk around Hannam-dong street with lots of choices to think about. And as for cafes, there is Cafe Appassionato and Paris Croissant, and the sweet shops - Lynn's Cupcakes and Tyche's.


In case you want to visit my neighborhood, Hannam-dong is less than five minutes away from Itaewon. One can also take the Green Bus 0213 and Blue Bus 110 from Itaewon. These buses pass through the Hannam-dong main street. You can also take these buses from Hangangjin Station, Exit 2.


And if you're driving, you can just ask your navigator to lead you to 'UN Village'. Parking will be a slight problem though.


I'll see you soon!


Ciao!

Kim Dae-Jung: The Man Who Introduced Democracy to South Korea

Yesterday, August 23, the funeral of the Nobel Peace Prize laureat and former South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung was held at the National Assembly. As this was too far for me to venture to, I opted to join the mourners at the Seoul Plaza.

It was a somber and restrained atmosphere as thousands of Koreans gathered at the Plaza, while those who didn't want to be under the sun, took shade at Deoksogung.

Those who wanted to pay their respects lined up at the altar bearing the late President's portrait, while others sat infront of the stage where songs, poems and speeches were sung and delivered.

As many South Koreans admit, they owe a lot to the late President as "they could have never known democracy without him".

JUMP!

It’s not the Pointer Sisters’ 1980’s dance song with the same title. It’s actually a martial arts show, where there is a lot of, well, jumping!


Although I never had any interest on watching this show, I was finally dragged by my friend Lena to watch it. This one is not your typical Broadway musical-type show, where actors audition for the role based on their acting abilities and on how they can memorize long lines. The actors’ qualifications for this one include expertise in Taekwondo, Wushu, Kung Fu and gymnastics. The acting comes in second. And since this is a comic performance, no acting is actually required. It’s all about slapstick movements done Kung-Fu style.

The show has four episodes, all told by the actors in martial arts movements, with no verbalization. The only sounds you hear from the stage are mostly laughter, screams, grunts, shouts and of course, sounds from the blows, tumblings and somersaults.

Since the show is not your typical Broadway-type, the stage wasn’t typical, too. The stage has a thick carpet lining as flooring, to cushion the players when they land from all the jumping and leaping on air. And can they leap! They even do tumbling runs which you only see at the gymnastics’ floor exercises. I didn’t see any double-twister ala Nadia Comaneci or a double-back flip ala Svetlana Khorkina. But these actors can do their stunts with precision worthy of a perfect 10 just the same!

Well, in case you want to catch it, I don’t want to spill out the plot, but it’s all about an eccentric family who all happens to be martial arts experts – from the grandpa, to the parents, to the daughter and even to the nerd suitor! They all display their dexterity, flexibility and lots of flat abs!


During the show, a couple of audience members will be plucked out from the crowd and join the trouble onstage. And in case they picked you, don’t be shy. Just get up from your seat and join the actors. It will be fun experience up there!


After the show, the actors are available backstage where they can sign autographs and pose with you.

Or if you want a more interesting souvenir photo, you can post in front of their giant poster outside the theater.

Ciao!

Winning A Photo Prize For The Banpo Fountain Bridge

Well, well, well. Another stroll, another photo, another win. 😍

Because the subject did not disappoint.😀

In the late 2008, it was touted that it would be the longest fountain bridge ever once it opened. The Banpo Bridge, a once boring bridge where traffic flows between Banpo-dong, south of the Han River, and Itaewon, my favorite side of the river, 'reinvented' itself when 9,380 nozzles were installed on both of its sides.

These nozzles, complimented with 200 colored lights, would pump 190 tons of water per minute from the Han River and spray them on the sides of the bridge from about 20meters up. The fountains on each side are distributed over 570 meters.😱

At night fall, the fountain shows off a spectacular display of water spouts colored with a spectrum of bright lights as they dance to the rhythms of Korean, and weirdly, Chinese, music blasting off from loudspeakers set up at the Banpo Park.

The whole ‘reinvention’ was completed on September 2008. And once the 1,140-meter fountains on both sides of the bridge successfully performed as planned, it was named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest bridge fountain in the world.😊

So, on one summer night in June, together with my friend Jeong-suk, I crossed the Banpo Bridge to see the fountains for myself. 

Standing on the river bank, Banpo-side, armed with my cameras, we joined the locals sitting on the park, and allowed ourselves, too, to be mesmerized by the dancing fountains while they change colors to the beat of the music.

I moved around the park, getting shots of the fountains from different angles. And after 30 minutes of spectacle and hundreds of camera clicks later, we decided to call it a (summer) night, even as the fountains were still tirelessly boasting of their world record in front of a captive audience.

And as I said, the fountains did not disappoint. Their photos, that is. 

Reviewing the photos after, I was so delighted to have captured the colors and the asymmetry of the water fountains that I decided to submit one of the photos to Groove Magazine, a local expat magazine published in Seoul. And voila! A month later, I saw the photo featured as the ‘Pic of the Month’ for August 2009.

Before we crossed the bridge, Jeong-suk and I grabbed a bite at my favorite fastfood in Itaewon, Pita Time. His treat! 😃

Now, it’s my turn. Since my prize is a dinner coupon worth W50,000, I can treat Jeong-suk to a more expensive meal this time.😝

(The photograph of the Banpo Fountain Bridge 

that won me a prize💜)