Happy Ppeppero Day!

Do you think that the United States is the only country with contrived holidays that are all about commercialism?  You'd be wrong.  Korea does too.  Ppeppero Day is like Korean Valentine's Day.  It is celebrated on November 11 each year.  Couples exchange boxes of Ppepperos, long battons of pretzel filled with chocolates.  Here's more about that holiday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepero

Also, here are some adorable Jindo puppies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRUBDTDeMAs&feature=related   Jindos are Korea's national dog.

City Living: Street Cats, Tiny Trucks, and Korean Carrots

Steet kitties.  Meow!  There are a lot of street cats in our neighborhood.  Garbage is plentiful in the streets and on the sidewalks here, so the cats eat a lot of leftover food.  When garbage does end up in bags, kitties often tear them open or spread around the contents.  One day, Scott and I found a terrified kitty on the inside steps of our buildings.  We managed to eventually shew it out of the bottom door.

Binge drinking is not only a Western problem!  Scott and I have encountered many red-faced students and grown men on the streets and in the subway.  Certain hard liquors are ridiculously cheap here which doesn't help, I'm sure.

Rooftop gardening

Don't be fooled.  This truck may look cute and innocent, but it will run you down and the driver will imagine that it was all your fault.  It's very dangerous for pedestrians here.  Being a pedestrian here is one of the most unappealing parts of being in Korea.

High-speed train travel is one of the best parts of being in Korea.  I particularly like that people are very quiet on the train.

It might be hard to make out, but that that is a big moving railroad track layer.

Super fat Korean carrots.

Scott's toupee.   Hehehehe!

I guess that the library was clearing out old books.  There was a huge pile of books out in the street one day next the library.  They used some kind of crane-type vehicle to bring the books down from the upper floors.

Finally, I got it in the mail.  Well, earlier this fall.

Daejeon has its moments: Skyline, Puppy, and An Unfortunately Named Lasik Center

A Daejeon neighborhood viewed from a hiking trail in the mountains

The mountains have a nice pine forest cover

Fall weather is pleasant and, unlike summer, dry

outdoor workout center, piled rocks

solar-powered light on trail

a lot of the city is flat, but this one is quite steep.  it's near a mountain.  note the excessive, ugly power lines everywhere

green fencing marks the start of the forest park area on the mountain where the trail is located

Many translations here are remarkably poor.  This lasik eye surgery center is called "Came Seeing."  A better translation might be "Left Seeing."  :)

There are a lot of broad avenues in addition to narrow crowded neighborhood streets.  These broad avenues do often have bike lanes in the middle of the sidewalk.  Beware speeding motorcycles and grouchy hunched over women with carts on the sidewalks

Seed husk or hedgehog?

Scott and I often eat a little restaurant/coffee house called "Pumpkin."  We love their chicken curry sandwich and the sweet potato latte which may sound gross but it's actually quite tasty.  The owners are really likable.  This puppy belongs to one of the owners.  It has the softest fur.

Scott LOVES this puppy

I once saw this puppy almost run over by a careless driver.

Nice parking job!

Gyeongbok Palace and the Korean Folk Museum

Last weekend, Scott and I went up to Seoul.  We had dual purposes: shopping for winter jackets and visiting a palace.  We weren't successful in finding clothes that would fit either of us, but we did have a nice time at Gyeongbok Palace and the neighboring Korea Folk Musuem.  Enjoy the pictures!

Gyeongbok Palace Gate with Seoul Skyscrapers in Back

Pond at Gyeongbok

Waterlilies facing toward Korean Folk Museum

Taking a Rest From Walking

Cushions are for sitting

Royal Chamber

Imagine putting a new roof on that

In one of the big courtyards

Palace Building in Back

Onlookers Watch Historical Reenactment of Soldiers Marching

Korean Folk Museum in Back

Scott's Zodiac Symbol is Dragon

I'm a Rat

Painted Ceiling in Palace Building

Another Sunday in Seoul

We visited Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul today. It was pretty cool, as is the Korea Folk Museum. Pictures to come. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongbokgung

The Gym

Finally, it's starting to cool down here.  I wore a sweater for the first time tonight.

Scott and I have been enjoying going to the gym.  We go to the university gym.  It is almost empty during the day which works very well for me since I teach in the evening when it gets busier there.  There are some differences between American gyms and Korean gyms.  One difference is that you have to remove your shoes to go into the locker room.  People remove shoes before entering houses and going into traditional Korean restaurants.  There is a special lower part of the floor by the entrance where you can leave your shoes.  The locker room floor is kept pretty clean, so socks are fine for it.  Unfortunately, out in the gym, some young men spit on the floor between the treadmills, so I would avoid stepping there.  Spitting is very common among men of all ages.  It is not everyone though, and Scott and I have met some Korean people who find the spitting gross.  One final thing about our Korean gym is that the cardio equipment goes largely unused.  That is because everyone there is already very skinny.  Koreans make the French seem like fatties :)

Some interesting context about South Korean education

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2094427-1,00.html