Korean Mountains & American Bars

This past weekend Lindsey and I took a trip cross town to Yudalsan Park. Yudalsan (or Mt. Yudal) with our friends Keegan and Kirsten. We hadn't been to the other side of the city yet but it was awesome! It is referred to as Old Downtown since our side of the city is the "new, hip" area but Old Downtown is plenty interesting. It is a more condensed set of busy streets that you can get lost in like a maze. There are shops on every corner and streets venders everywhere. Even ladies selling puppies in a box...

There are also these really awesome arch ways over most of the streets that light up different colors at night. We will be going to see these this coming weekend.

Before exploring the Old Downtown area though we hiked up Mt. Yudal. The park is on the westside (flashing westside gang sign) of the city near the ocean. Almost immediately you are provided with a view of the whole city that just gets better and better as you go. It is not a hike as much as a nature walk up stairs. As you ascend there is a stature of some General who's name I can't recall who beat up on some Japanese ships long ago and several asian gazebos designed like temples. It is about a half hour stroll to the summit where you get 360 views of the city and the water along side the craggy mountain top. As always there are plenty of other people around. 

That afternoon we did our weekly venture into the world of Korean grocery shopping (which never goes quite as we expect) and that evening we went to Moe's Bar, one of the foreigner bars here in Mokpo (the other being New York). Surprisingly on a Saturday night there were little to no foreigners in the bar but mostly Koreans everywhere, as usual. The bar is a short walk from our apartment and themed after Moe's Bar on the The Simpsons but is disappointingly nice in comparison to the Homer Simpsons trashy second home. They have nice couches with tables to sit on while they blare American music. We went with Keegan and Kirsten again and just spent the night drinking and chatting until we realized it was well past our bedtimes. 

Sunday was mostly spent relaxing around the apartment. We explored some side streets for a Korean BBQ for lunch and ended up at a slightly disappointing place. We were starving though and would have eaten anything. Dave went for a bike ride along the bike path all the way to the Old Downtown area on the other side of the city while Lindsey got her knitting fix (its never enough). Then that evening Lindsey went to the foreigners Book Club and met several other people teaching here in Mokpo. She had a really good time and it was great to meet more people in the city that we can actually communicate with. We both finally got into the foreigners group on The Book and joined a snowboarding club. So we are beginning to branch out and build social lives here. Spreading out wings if you will.

On the work front, some of Lindsey's evening classes have been canceled while the kids study for some standardized tests. Also, our lesson plans aren't detailed enough and we need to hand them in in the beginning of the day so after we spend too much time writing these detailed lesson plans we can't use them in class. Not to thrilled about that but oh well, we only have to write them for the first 6 months!

FUNNY KID QUOTE:
Dave - "Ok everyone, what do you see in the picture?" (Picture is of a white man serving 2 white kids ice cream)

Kid - pointing at the white man "I see a cracker!"


How that kid knows that term I don't know but it was easily the highlight of my day!!!