Saturday, November 7, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
A Strange Halloween
We spent October 31 doing a particularly strange and spooky tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. We took a tour with an American company which was lead by Koreans for part of the way and American soldiers for the other part.
Not only were we able to go into the DMZ which stretches across the Korean peninsula and is 4km wide (2km on either side of the border where no Korean civilians are allowed), but also we were able to step foot on North Korean ground. Before entering the DMZ, we were given a Visitors Delcaration to read and sign, stating that we understood that we were "entering a hostile area and [there was a] possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action." We had to follow a strict and conservative dress code, and we were warned more than once not to make any kind of gesture or body communication towards North Korea. We were taken right up to the actual line that divides the two worlds. On one side of the line stood South Korean and American soldiers on guard, and 50 feet away stood North Korean soldiers on guard. When we arrived to this area where North and South Korea both have buildings, we were taken into South Korea's Reunification Building, built for divided families to come and meet. However, this building was entirely vacant, and it has never been used save for the third floor in which the Red Cross has an office.
In this picture, you can see tourists, South Korean soldiers (in the black hardhats), American soldiers (in camo), and North Korean soldiers (taking pictures of us). You can also see the cement line that divides the Koreas. The building on the left is a conference room where meetings between N. Korea and the UN take place. Half is on N.Korean soil, and half on S.Korean. We were able to go into this building.
Before entering the building, a S. Korean soldier takes special measures checking the security of the room: locking the door into N. Korea, and standing guard the entire time visitors are present.
While in the conference room, North Korean soldiers came up near the windows to take pictures.
This guard is standing in a "modified Taekwondo stance" with half of his body behind the blue building. He is always on guard when visitors are there, and he stands in that position so that he can take quick cover if he needs to.
After leaving the dividing line, we were taken back out to the edge of the DMZ to a place where one of four tunnels into South Korea dug by North Korea have been discovered. We went down into the tunnel. Usually, when you do stuff like this, it's part of a history exhibit or something that is of the past. This is not of the past yet. Tourists are required to turn around and head back south about 170 meters from the border at the first of 3 barricades in place to keep North Koreans from entering South Korea. Soldiers expect that there are more tunnels being dug at this moment, but they don't know where yet.
We have limited pictures because of all the rules, but I think these give a pretty good idea of how intense the situation is. We even saw the world's most dangerous golf course!
Not only were we able to go into the DMZ which stretches across the Korean peninsula and is 4km wide (2km on either side of the border where no Korean civilians are allowed), but also we were able to step foot on North Korean ground. Before entering the DMZ, we were given a Visitors Delcaration to read and sign, stating that we understood that we were "entering a hostile area and [there was a] possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action." We had to follow a strict and conservative dress code, and we were warned more than once not to make any kind of gesture or body communication towards North Korea. We were taken right up to the actual line that divides the two worlds. On one side of the line stood South Korean and American soldiers on guard, and 50 feet away stood North Korean soldiers on guard. When we arrived to this area where North and South Korea both have buildings, we were taken into South Korea's Reunification Building, built for divided families to come and meet. However, this building was entirely vacant, and it has never been used save for the third floor in which the Red Cross has an office.
In this picture, you can see tourists, South Korean soldiers (in the black hardhats), American soldiers (in camo), and North Korean soldiers (taking pictures of us). You can also see the cement line that divides the Koreas. The building on the left is a conference room where meetings between N. Korea and the UN take place. Half is on N.Korean soil, and half on S.Korean. We were able to go into this building.
Before entering the building, a S. Korean soldier takes special measures checking the security of the room: locking the door into N. Korea, and standing guard the entire time visitors are present.
While in the conference room, North Korean soldiers came up near the windows to take pictures.
This guard is standing in a "modified Taekwondo stance" with half of his body behind the blue building. He is always on guard when visitors are there, and he stands in that position so that he can take quick cover if he needs to.
After leaving the dividing line, we were taken back out to the edge of the DMZ to a place where one of four tunnels into South Korea dug by North Korea have been discovered. We went down into the tunnel. Usually, when you do stuff like this, it's part of a history exhibit or something that is of the past. This is not of the past yet. Tourists are required to turn around and head back south about 170 meters from the border at the first of 3 barricades in place to keep North Koreans from entering South Korea. Soldiers expect that there are more tunnels being dug at this moment, but they don't know where yet.
We have limited pictures because of all the rules, but I think these give a pretty good idea of how intense the situation is. We even saw the world's most dangerous golf course!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fall
It is certainly fall here now. The leaves are changing, and the air is no longer thick and humid. It's chilly and crisp. We took a trip to a Korean traditional folk village last weekend called Hahoe (pronounced Ha-whay). With the fall colors and the traditional housing, it was beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful place I've seen in Korea. The rice fields were golden, the air was clear, the trees were changing from green to red and yellow, the houses have thatch roofs and neat stucco walls and walkways. While we were there, we were able to watch a Korean Mask Dance, during which, of course, we the foreigners were called to the front to dance with the actors. We had fun dancing like fools in front of a couple hundred Koreans all laughing and taking our picture. Since we were all involved in the entertainment, we weren't able to capture on photo or video our sweet moves, but don't worry, our crowd was pleased :)
Mitch and Diana discussing the sweet dance techniques we used during our performance:
We made wishes and tied them to line that surrounds this tree that is over 600 years old:
Traditional housing with thatch roofing:
Our puppets!
What? We always walk like this:
Standing in the rice fields with Mr. Turnip Head:
Monday, October 19, 2009
China!
Hey! We went to China a few weeks ago, and we still haven't told you about it! It seems like there was a lot to to when we got back, and we both felt a little under the weather. Anyways, we'll still work on a posting, but until then, we've posted some pictures to our picasa website. I tried to label some of them, but I'm not finished with that yet.
Click here for the pictures!
Click here for the pictures!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Things to do today...
- Clean the bathroom
- Wash the dishes
- Finish
- Pay the bills
- Get our black belts in Hapkido
Thursday, September 10, 2009
what's been on our plate
Our friend Mike, who arrived to Korea the same time we did, told us that we have 14 weekends left in Korea. 14 weekends!!@## There's so much to be seen still! It's coming to an end quickly, and we've been ridiculously busy for the past month which makes the days go by too fast. Here's an idea of what we fill our days with:
1. planning a trip for October 3-11 to Beijing and Xi'an in China. wooo.
2. reading The Lord of the Rings
3. studying Spanish and Korean
4. hapkido- may have our black belts by the end of the month!
5. planning our vacation in December/January before we head home. We'll pick Debbie and Lindsey up from the airport on Dec. 18, head to Vietnam for ~3 weeks, from there go to Tokyo for a few days, then TEXAS around Jan. 15!
6. talking to Lindsey on Skype (it's her first semester in college :)
7. work
8. still keeping to our vow to travel somewhere different in Korea every weekend
9. searching for jobs in Costa Rica
10. eating lots of ice cream while its still hot here
The best part about all of these things is that we're doing them together! It's so much fun making big plans with your best friend. :)
1. planning a trip for October 3-11 to Beijing and Xi'an in China. wooo.
2. reading The Lord of the Rings
3. studying Spanish and Korean
4. hapkido- may have our black belts by the end of the month!
5. planning our vacation in December/January before we head home. We'll pick Debbie and Lindsey up from the airport on Dec. 18, head to Vietnam for ~3 weeks, from there go to Tokyo for a few days, then TEXAS around Jan. 15!
6. talking to Lindsey on Skype (it's her first semester in college :)
7. work
8. still keeping to our vow to travel somewhere different in Korea every weekend
9. searching for jobs in Costa Rica
10. eating lots of ice cream while its still hot here
The best part about all of these things is that we're doing them together! It's so much fun making big plans with your best friend. :)
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