The Korean Hair Cut!

After three years of avoiding the hairdressers I decided to take the plunge and chop off all my wispy, split ended, wavy locks.

I toyed with the idea of doing it myself, but when I realised I could get a professional to do it for me for £5, there wasn't really any reason to risk ruining my weekend!

Before....

After...

I was really expecting some problems; LANGUAGE BARRIER, plus Korean hair is really thick, coarse and straight, whereas mine is thin and wavy, but the stylist was amazing. I took in a picture, she nodded, hacked away and 30 minutes later I walked out of there a new woman.

If you're in Cheonan and interested in going... the salon is in Doojeongdong, a block away from McDonalds.

Hiking in Korea; Mountain Fashion Show

Korea is all about the look. You have to look right, whatever you're doing. That's why guys having swimming lessons at the swimming pool look like they're set for the Olympics; why people jogging around the local park look like they're about to run a marathon; and why on the 3km bike track we go to sometimes, all the other cyclists look ready to do the Tour de France.

Hiking is no different. Whether they're on a 20km hike up a mountain or just a stroll in the park, Koreans have all the gear and all the designer names to go with it. Even if they're walking along a paved road (which you can almost always do on any mountain in Korea), the locals have crampons and walking sticks.

Ric and I on the other hand get incredulous looks for wearing our everyday jeans and t-shirts. Clearly we're doing something terribly wrong.

Ric: jeans, trainers, t-shirt, hoody.

Steph: leggings, jumper, cardigan, handbag.

 And then this....

Mt. Mudeung, Gwangju

It's the end of March now and the weather is perfect for hiking; the days are clear and sunny and the breeze is cool but doesn't turn your bones to ice as it did in the winter. That said, we decided to hike up the monstrous Mount Mudeung in Gwangju.

We started out at Wonhyosa temple, a beautiful temple with stunning views over Mudeung National Park. From there you can follow the road all the way up the mountain to about 150m from the summit. We thought the road was a bit boring though (and also crowded with Koreans), so we took one of the woodland paths that lead up onto the ridge of the mountain. 

Wonhyosa temple

Wonhyosa temple

The woody path, as you can see from the bare trees, it's not quite spring yet.

After about two hours we emerged from the woods to appreciate the stunning view of Gwangju and the valleys of mountains that roll out into the afternoon haze.

At Jungbong peak (915m above sea level) we had a clear view of our goal: Soseokdae Peak (1100m). 

Soseokdae peak (on the left)

 Finally we made it to the top, took some 'top of the world' photos, ate snacks and made our way back down. 

"TOP OF THE WORLD!"

Phew!

Soseokdae peak is a rock formation (in fact largest pillar rock formation inside of the Korea peninsular). The story behind the numerous rock formations on Mt. Mudeung vary from far fetched to indecipherable.

???

We decided to take the road down as it was getting dark and it was an easier path. After 3 hours climbing up the hill, I was horrified when we found a sign and realised how far we still had to go before we could catch a bus back into town!

Only 6.4km to go...

The sun setting as we descended the last 6km.

In the photo above you see how the freezing winter wind from the north (the Arctic) strips the trees of their leaves, whilst the south side is sheltered. In summer the wind (and weather) come from the South, that's why it's so hot. Roll on summer!

This is Ric "braving" the snow. It was actually a really warm pleasant day, but there was still loads of snow and ice on part of the mountain where the sun doesn't reach.

Total time: 5 hours
Total distance: 12km (ish)

How to get there:
We took the express bus from Cheonan to Gwangju (2.5hrs). From right outside the bus terminal you can get the 1187 bus straight to Wonhyosa temple (approx 1hr). The bus also stops outside the YMCA downtown (and takes 30 minutes).

We Stayed At...
...a very cheap, somewhat sleazy motel close to the bus terminal. It was questionably named 'Motel Wan Ta Bang', and hadn't been redecorated since the early 70's. [30,000won/£15 per room] 

Shove Your Aegyo...

애교 (aegyo) is a Korea term for being cute, and quite frankly it's driving me crazy.

Check out the video on this link...

"How Cute Korean Girls Get What They Want" ~ is it any wonder this country has one of the worst rankings for gender equality in the world?! (108th out of 135 countries)

Girls (and boys, to a lesser extent) are brought up being told that the cuter they are, the more successful they will be. That all they need to do is talk in a high, squeaky voice, pout and bat their eyelashes a little and they'll never have to work for anything.

It's so frustrating talking to a bright, near-bi-lingual 6 year old, whose knowledge of English grammar could surpass that of a 10 year old native speaker, and have them speak to you in baby talk, in a put-on high pitched voice, with their head tilted to one side, doey eyed and pouting. 
Kid, I admire and respect your intelligence, you don't need to win me over with the애교.

It's not just the parents either, the Korean teachers lap up the fake cuteness and jump at any opportunity to mollify the students. I've seen lessons where the teacher spent most of the class telling the kids how cute and beautiful they were, with no mention of them being smart... or funny... or interesting.

In a country where so many women end up as house wives in abusive relationships, it's distressing to sit back and watch the values that are being forced onto these children. I praise my students for their work, I tell them I'm proud of them when they study well, but that's hardly a drop in the ocean compared to the mighty unseen forces of cuteness that surround them all day everyday.

Maybe I'll scrap art class and instead start giving lessons about successful ugly women in history. Margaret Thatcher may serve some good afterall....

Train Spotting

For those of you who don't already know, my boyfriend has quite a soft spot for trains (runs in the family apparently), and so with our departure date quickly approaching, we went to Gokseong to visit Korea's "Steam Train Village".

Ric on a train.

Unfortunately, the steam train turned out to be a diesel train, with a puff of water vapour that came out every now and then for effect. Ric was terribly disappointed but we rode the train anyway. It runs along the Seomijingang river, though a mountain valley; the scenery is really beautiful, even if the train is a fake and the other passengers were all eating dried tentacles.

The train village is a sort-of naff theme park, with a rose garden (which I'm sure is nice in the summer...), some children's rides, a petting zoo, and a rail bike track! I'd never heard of a rail biking before but we gave that a go too.

The village has lots of trains you can look at and go inside. Some have been converted into cafes, bathrooms, and cabins that you can rent out and sleep in; that was quite cool.

All in all we had a fun day, mainly due to each other's company and not so much due to the trains. 

Ric <3 <3 <3 trains

Train cabins (like caravans)

Barren rose garden.

Ric driving a KTX bullet train.

Random petting zoo.

Seomijingang river.

Seomijingang river.

                     Ric on [another] train.

Gokseong countryside as seen from our rail bike.

Traaaaaaaaaaain! (But not a steam train).

How to get to...
Seomjingang Train Village: we took a direct bus from Gwangju bus terminal. It took 1 hour.

Another Day in Seoul

One of the great things about living in Cheonan is that it's not too far from Seoul, and you can get there in as little as 30 minutes on the high speed KTX train. The bus only takes an hour too, and is more comfortable and cheaper than the train.

Changdeokgung 

So we went up to the capital for another day of sightseeing and checked out two palaces: Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung. The two are side by side, not too far from the city's main palace, Gyeongbokgung.

I'm no big palace enthusiast and after 9 months in Korea I do sometimes feel like 'seen one seen em all' when it comes to palaces. It was, however, nice to visit one after the other yesterday as it was easier to compare the two.

We first went to Changdeokgung, the city's second palace. Apparently the king who built it, King Taejong, lived there for some years after murdering his own half brothers at the main palace (Gyeongbokgung) in order to ascend to the throne.

Changdeokgung 

From Changdeokgung you can enter Changgyeonggung. Changgyeonggung was built later than Changdeokgung, in 1483 and was built by King Sejong, for his father King Taejong. We enjoyed walking around the gardens, ponds, pagodas and green houses that sprawl out behind the palace.

Changgyeonggung

Changgyeonggung

One thing about visiting palaces in Korea is that they don't feel very authentic. Although Changdeokgung was originally built in 1405, it has been completely destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, thanks to the Japanese, and was most recently rebuilt and restored in the 90's. Same goes for most of the palaces we've visited.

Nonetheless it was a peaceful stroll on a sunny Saturday and we made the most of the tranquil gardens and ornate buildings.

Changgyeonggung

Changgyeonggung

After our palace tour we met up with Sydney and went for a walk around Bukchon, an area of Seoul designated as a traditional hanok village where traditional houses (hanoks) are maintained and have been lovingly restored to attract tourists in search of an authentic stay in Seoul.

Hanok houses in Bukchon

Hanok houses in Bukchon

There were some cool vintage shops there and a secondary school that would look more at home in Downton Abbey than in the middle of Korea. Add that to some beers, shopping and a rotisserie chicken off the back of a van and it all makes for a nice day out.

Downton Abbey??

Family photo!

Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Bukchon are all within walking distance of subway station 'Anguk' (line 3) exit 3.

My Birthday With My Best Friends

Cake for breakfast.

I got to turn 25 in Korea. That's pretty cool. Turning 25 for me means: a more liberal approach to body hair (thanks Korea); the acceptance that I'm never going to have a "career"; and the pressure of knowing that all my friends at home are all moving in, getting mortgages, getting married and having babies, whist I'm pratting about on the other side of the globe with less responsibility than when I was 18. 

The day before my birthday Stacey and Jenny landed in Korea. Having them here was the best present I could ever have dreamed of. After 9 months without them I was in desperate need for a good chat, a large dose of head-size related banter and some girl time.

They took to Korea like naturals: eating all the gross spicy pickled food; eating without plates or knives and forks; and getting shouted at in Korean by old people in the street.

♥ Aren't they adorable? ♥

They brought with them cards and presents from my friends and family back home, making the actual day of my birthday really special; it was just like being at home! 

We went for some sight seeing in Seoul and watched the sunset from the top of Namsam Tower, before meeting up with some friends from Cheonan and pigging out on Western food and imported wine at VIPS. 

Seoul sunset

Namsam Tower

It was a really great night out in Hongdae and [naturally] it ended in 노래방 (karaoke) until the early hours.

Dinner at VIPS

Second birthday cake of the day (thanks Sydney!)

Embracing karaoke Korean style.

 Thank you to:
♥Stacey and Jenny for coming so far to see me. It was amazing having you here.
♥Kirsty, Lauren, Gaz, Amy, Jake and Mum and Dad for sending me lovely things. Especially the Vimto!!!
♥Ric for living in a small corner while the rest of the apartment was overrun with women! And also for being really lovely and keeping me sane in Korea.

It was emotional...

♥Sydney and Aaron for the very personal present, for a great night out in Seoul and for being really awesome friends (Sydney, mainly). 
♥Alex, for the offensive presents and awkward serenade at the 노래방, it was hilarious.
♥And everyone whose photo's I have stolen from the week because you all have better cameras than me!

 Enough about me, here are some more pictures of Stacey's and Jenny's Korean adventure....

Visiting Big Buddha

Another cracking sunset

Cocktails....

...More cocktails

Cheonan

Snowboarding

Stacey (going right)

Oops we went up the wrong ski lift and now have to go down a 'blue' slope
(two levels steeper and scarier than the previous slope....)

Luckily Jen knew what she was doing!

 Thanks for coming girls! Love yoooou!!