Beomeosa Temple Stay
Temple-stays in Busan let us non-monks get a peak at life in the temple: 108 bows, waking at 3am, sacred silence, and a quest for happiness. Our translator described enlightenment as a clear pond. A person can immediately see a drop of red dye in crystal water, she said. However, a drop of red dye in dirty water disappears. Likewise, an unhappy mind cannot quickly identify the root of unhappiness, anger, and greed. However, a happy enlightened mind can...
Read MoreLoving Love Motels
Brian in Jeolnamdo, a favourite blogger, has written in the Korea Herald about the benefits of the love motel and the changes. I’m an avid traveller around Korea, and I always stay in Love Motels. I’ve found that there are 5 levels of accomodation in Korea. At the bottom, there is the Yogwan (usually has the same symbol as the saunas). These are the cheapest, running from 20 to 35 thousand won for a night. They are usually the...
Read MoreMunsu Stadium Sports Complex
Sports complex? How complex are sports. Ball, net…foot, hand, stick. Really, they aren’t complex at all. The full name of the Stadium is..The Ulsan Munsu World Cup Sports Complex Stadium, or something like that. At first glance there is a brilliant, if underused, soccer stadium. It was built at the cost of 120 million dollars to Hyundai (yup, believe it or not). There’s more though. The stadium is home to the World Cup cough Museum (3 or 4 soccer...
Read MoreUlsan Grand Park
The largest park in the city, Ulsan Grand Park, or to Koreans, Ulsan Big Park, is worth a days outing. I once feared to tread in the park for roaming gangs of middle school students who would want to take my photo (which still happens) but I finally got over my fear and starting going to the park, regularly. Ulsan Grand Park is big, it’s about 4km long, and at most points is 500 m wide. The Park has...
Read MoreAndong – It’s Not Just About Masks
Many people have heard of Andong because of its famous Mask Festival in the fall. One of the largest of festivals, it attracts travellers from around the world. Skip the mask dance, which I find to be somewhat hokey and explore Hahoe Village instead. Hahoe Village is a relic of the Joseon Dynasty. Dating from over 600 years ago with architectural styles that are a throwback to an earlier, simpler time. In the village, you’ll find tile-roof style homes,...
Read MoreBeat the Heat in Beomseo
Now that summer has finally arrived, many people look for ways to cool off. A relatively recent addition to the recreational possibilities near Ulsan is Watertopia. A small water park on the farthest northwest reaches of Ulsan boasts three water slides, and numerous fountain sprays to help you have fun in the sun. For a mere 11,000 won you can spend the afternoon in the cool pool, surrounded by hoards of children who will either point and say “waygookin”...
Read MoreSeoul Promises to be more “Women Friendly”
“Happy Women, Happy Seoul” is the new slogan in Seoul. Paving the streets for easier high-heel walking and pink-painted parking for women is geared towards making Seoul easier on women. Read the whole article here in a Yahoo/Time piece. Not content with just reporting on the street changes, the original Author, Veronica Zaragovia, delves in to the deeper socio-economic issues of who’s going to do the chores around the house. South Korea ranked low at 64 out of 93...
Read MoreGoing Native in the YeongNam Alps
Just west of Ulsan lie the YeongNam Alps, a series of rugged mountains that run roughly north-northeast-southwest parallel to the coast. For a simple day trip, getting into the mountains can be incredibly easy. Take the 807 bus or 1713 to Seoknamsa and you’ll be dropped off at a beautiful temple tucked into a valley at the base on Gajin Mountain. Even if you’ve got your own transportation getting there is easy; simply follow the Taewha river west along...
Read MoreNotes from the Belly of the Beast
I’m back in the United States for a short, two-week visit and it is just about enough time for me. While there’s never enough time to see all the family and friends, there’s plenty of time to contemplate on why I like Korea and will continue to live there. Visiting the world’s greatest consumer culture during the biggest depression since the 1930s is an eye-opener. My wife, MyeongHee, and I arrived on May 12th. She’s never been to the USA,...
Read MoreWaterskiing & Wakeboarding in Gyeongju
What do you miss the most about home? Cheese? A set garbage day? A backyard? For me, it’s hitting up the cottage with a group of friends. Here’s my solution: Gyeong Buk Water Skiing Training Center or Gyeong Buk Su Sang Seu Ki Hyeop He. Located in Gyeongju, about a 10 minute drive out of the downtown core, this little lake is a safe-haven-get-away for the cottage and water sport lover. Pack a lunch (or food to BBQ), a...
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