Fin
Well I know that this is a month late, but I thought I’d throw up some final thoughts about my year in SOKO and my brief but significant week in Mongolia.
First, let me say that Korea is as eventful and enjoyable a place as you could hope for. There is plenty to do and see and the year, although difficult at times, goes by quickly. I left a little bit sad, partially because my kids were being so cute (they kept telling me I could stay and live in the school) and because my good friend Kevin had returned from the states to live in Seoul. So although I was so happy to be returning home, I was feeling surprisingly conflicted. I suppose all that is to say that, for all my determination to leave, I was wishing i could spend at least a little more time with my buddy.
Second, I must give a shout out to the other drivers at Korea Kart. In the last 3 months that I was in SOKO I spent many, many hours at the track, improving my racing technique. In that time had become one of the regulars, I had a coach, and a place in the pits. It was a great experience and it just goes to show that you’re never far from the things you love doing.
Third, I was blessed to have met such lovely people and to have made such lovely friends at my church, Onurri English Ministry. If you’re in SOKO and your looking for a church, I’d recommend it.
Okay, Mongolia. It’s the most extraordinary, beautiful and enjoyable country I’ve ever visited. All the hype and all my excitement were justified. Mongolians are kind and hospitable people and there is much to see. I travelled south, to the Gobi desert with a beautiful French-Australian family, whom I met at the UB Guest House (which is the place to stay, Mrs and Mr Kim are quite a pair). UBGH arranged for us to have an English speaking guide (Ayush) and a driver who knew all the roads south (Byraa).
From Ullanbaatar we spent 7 days making a loop through the bottom part of the country. We slept each night with a nomadic family, in their homes which are called “gers” (they are like yurts), and during the day we would drive, sometimes spending close to 7 hours in our Russian van. With only about 200 miles of paved road in all of Mongolia this was something else, especially because we travelled almost 1000 miles. But that didn’t really matter because Mongolia is breathtaking and it’s one of the few places where real, true, adventure can be found. During my trip I scaled a 1600 foot sand dune to watch the sun rise, befriended half wild Mongolian wolf dogs, galloped along a creek on a sturdy pony, climbed to the rim of canyons and scrambled up to the top boulder strewn slopes, I learned about sheep herders and the significance of water, and most importantly I met and was blessed by my traveling companions, both Mongolian and French. It was an incredible week and I cannot wait to go back.
So there you go. A year and a day in South Korea, a week in Mongolia and a more complete Richard. Thank you so much for reading.
With love,
Dickie
PS, I took these photos during my trip through Mongolia, they are sequential, starting on day 1 with a shot of Ullanbaatar. Enjoy.
School Is Out (or, Mongolia Is In)
So I’m at a SHOW WIBRO Store in downtown Seoul, about to leave for Mongolia. Yesterday was my last day at ECC and I must admit that I was a little bit sad to leave. It’s been a great year and I’ve been so fortunate to teach such lovely children. For the last 3 weeks the kids have been writing me goodbye letters and telling me not to go, and yesterday they were a little bit forlorn. One especially heartbreaking moment was when I said goodbye to little Sean (he’s 5), who started crying harder than I’ve ever seen a kid cry. It’s strange, but I feel like I’ve just finished my freshman year of college; in my mind I keep thinking that this is just the start of summer break and I’ll be going back in 2 months. I don’t think that things will sink in until I get back to the states. Speaking of which, I’ll be back at 10:45pm on the 26 (into PDX on a Hawaiian flight). But now it’s time to go, I’ll be in Mongolia all week and expect a blog update on the 24th or 25th. Have a great weekend!
Yours,
Dickie
June 29th
Hello,
I’m very sorry that I haven’t posted in over a month. Things here are excellent. My teaching wraps up in about 2 weeks (my last day will be the 15th), which mean’s I’ll have been teaching in SoKo for a year and a day. The big news, however, is that I’ll be going to Mongolia for a week. I leave on the 16th and it looks like I’ll be spending 6 nights and 7 days touring the Gobi desert. I was emailed this tentative itinerary yesterday:
Day 1. Rock formation
Day 2. White mountain
Day 3. Dalanzadgad town
Day 4. Ice valley, continue the trip to the Sand dune
Day 5. Bayanzag, where dinosaur’s fossil and egg were found.
Day 6. Erdenedalay village
Day 7. Back to UB
Not to shabby! I’m especially excited about day 5, the Gobi is home to several of the best Velociraptor (it doesn’t look very scary, more like a 6 foot turkey) and Oviraptor finds to date. So at the moment I’m brushing up on as much paleontology and Mongolian history as I can. Anyway, after arriving back at UB, which is Ulaanbaatar, I fly to Seoul. From there I fly to Portland on the 26th and then the party starts (well, actually the make up party starts, apparently there’s a “Welcome Back Richard Party” on the 8th, you’re probably invited). So I’m sorry about my delayed return, but I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to see a country that I’ve always been interested in. I can’t wait to be home, and I’ll see you soon! Expect another post before I depart for Mongolia.
Cheers,
Dickie
PS, I’ve included a shot of what the dinosaur dig will probably look like, and another of my expression during most of those 7 days…
Go Karts Korea! Updated: DIRECTIONS
JRS Sprint Kart Track
Hello Again,
Yesterday was Children’s Day here in Korea, so we had the day off. I’d heard rumors of go-karting here in Seoul and so I decided to try my luck around the old Olympic Sports Complex, which is down by the Han River. I scoped out the track on Google Maps and sure enough, my hard work paid off. I arrived at the JRS Sprint Kart Track at around noon and ended up spending the whole day there. There is a rental shop which let’s you take out standard, 20mph, go-karts for a pretty reasonable fee. After spending lots of time (and money) out on the track, the owner let me take out a full-blown racing kart, called a Sprint Kart. In the picture below I’m braking as I enter a tight, left-hand, hairpin. That little kart has a 40bhp, 2-stroke motor that will take it up to 80 miles per hour and in the turns the kart will pull 1.5 g; which is more than most sports cars will generate! It felt so good to be driving again and in the end I was almost as fast as the “regulars,” one of whom was driving another Sprint Kart at the same time this photo was taken (in fact I overtook him when he spun-off going through the same hairpin). I’m definitely going back this weekend, and Karting (which is what they call Sprint Kart racing) is really fun. Although the track is short, the driving is actually very similar to real racing, and lots of F1 drivers (including Schumacher, Massa, and Hamilton) either got their start in karts or still practice in karts. If you get a chance, and there’s a track nearby go and see if you can’t take a few laps in a Sprint Kart. It’ll be worth your effort!
Cheers,
Dickie
PS, DIRECTIONS:
For those of you in Seoul who are interested in going to the track, it’s easy: Take the Green Line (line 2) and get off at station 218, SPORTS COMPLEX. Walk out Exit 5 (or 6) and turn and walk LEFT. Walk past the Baseball Stadium (it will be on your right) until you get to a stoplight. Take a right at the light (you want to be on the left side of the street). Walk and walk, past the stadium (which will still be on your right). You should be walking towards the Old Olympic stadium. Down to your left should be a huge parking lot, with a little river on the other side. Eventually you’ll want to go down one of the numerous flights of steps (I’d say the second), into that parking lot. Once you are down there, keeping heading in the direction you were going (you’re actually walking towards the Han). Assuming you did it right, the Go Kart Track will be the last thing, at the end of this big parking lot (full of buses), before you reach the Han. It will be difficult to miss, as it takes up the entire end of the parking lot and it’s noisy. They don’t run on rainy days and it is about 15,000 Won for about 15 or 20 minutes of regular go-karting. Sprint kart is around 30,000 Won for about 10 minutes. Mr. Lim is the owner and the number is 02)420-3886.
This baby has 40bhp and will go 80mph!
From Line 2, Sports Complex Station, to the Go Kart Track. That is the little river on the left, the Han River is just out of sight, at the top of the map.
Green Is Here
Hello and Happy Spring! It’s hard to believe that May is right around the corner. It has been a beautiful weekend here, warm with a cool breeze, and clear. Lately it’s started to feel like the Seoul that I first experience last year. The heat cooks up action, everything is noisier and smellier. People have been out in full force, especially the hikers. Hiking has become a fad here, particularly amongst old Koreans. There are thousands of them making their way toward the various hills and parks in and around Seoul. It’s silly because even there aren’t really any “technical” climbing areas or difficult terrain, these hikers insist on wearing the most robust gear possible. They have hiking boots and packs (which are full of booze), with polls and bandanas, when all that they’ll be doing is climbing some stairs (and getting drunk). It would be like going to the local pool in a wetsuit (with a bottle of vodka). Totally ridiculous.
Seoul is definitely a four season climate, and spring has been ushered in by blossoming cherry and magnolia trees. They are beautiful and suddenly everything has become green. This really is a lovely time to be here, although sadly it won’t last long. In a few weeks it will be unbearably hot and humid, so I’m doing my best to enjoy this beautiful spring (hello football and tennis).
Anyway, I’m be home in about 11 weeks, which I’m very much looking forward too. Actually, I just can’t wait to start driving again. I’ve included some pictures from around the Seoul. I am reading Tony Dungy’s book Uncommon and in it he quite smartly quotes Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Have a great spring, I’ll see you soon.
Yours,
Dickie
In Short
Greetings,
Well right off the bat my return date has been selected, I’m flying back to Portland on July 8th. My ticket isn’t booked yet, but because my visa expires on the 16th, I’m confident that I’ll be home on the 8th. I must say that I’m excited. As anyone here will tell you, I’ve been looking forward to going home since I arrived. It’s nothing to do with the ROK, it’s simply that Oregon is the most beautiful place in the world, with the loveliest people in the world. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
It’s supposed to be spring here, however thanks to climate change and Al Gore, it’s been snowing on and off for the past two days. That’s a blessing and a curse, it’s great because the ski parks are still open (so I’m skiing on Saturday) but it’s bad because it’s very cold outside. Things at the school are crazy. We’ve just received a crop of new students, about half of which don’t speak any English at all. This is a much more daunting proposition than it sounds, because as a foreigner I am mostly just a source of amusement for these kids. I stand at the front of the classroom, shouting and waving my arms, and the kids just laugh and chatter in Korean. Someone asked me ‘how I did it’ the other day and I responded, “I pray. It’s an exercise in patience.” Which is 100% the truth. I know that in time this will change, but for now it is exhausting work.
It’s strange to imagine going home; I know I’m in for a shock. First, I’ll be driving everywhere. If I want to get the paper, I’ll get in my car. If I want to get a box of cereal, I’ll get in my car. If I want to go to the park, I’ll get in my car. Second, the supermarkets will be full of every sort of imaginable food. Here in SOKO it’s mostly fancy Top-Ramen, dried fish, kimchi, women shouting ‘Hello!’ in Korean, and cleaning supplies. If I close my eyes I can picture aisle after aisle of chips, breads, cereal, soups, ice creams, cheese, and of course cereal. Finally, it will smell nice. That one’s pretty self explanatory, but Seoul is a really smelly place.
Of course, I am slightly nostalgic about leaving. This is an amazing country; it’s a very safe place to learn about the wide world, the people are friendly, there’s a lot to do, and it’s inexpensive. I am going to miss my job, the convenience of the subway (which is the best in the world), the lovely woman that makes toasted sandwiches around the corner from my apartment, and the madness of it all. Those feelings are crushed, however, when I remember that I got hit by a cab (it was more of a love tap) and had an old man spit on me, but tit for tat.
So there you have it. The longer blog post that I promised. I just picked up a 50mm lens for my Canon and I’ve been putting it to good use, so enjoy the photos. I read this in Oswald the other day: My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. I think that’s a good thing to be meditating on. Have a great week and a great month! Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Dickie
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- My Desk At School
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- Wild Turtle
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- Original Day Glow
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- My New Favorite
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- In Downtown Seoul
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- Nightlights On My Street
Spring Has Sprung
Hello,
This is my obligatory February post. I’m sorry I haven’t written all month, I tried earlier, but failed. You may be wondering, “Dick, what’s new?” Well, friend you’re right to ask, sadly however there isn’t much to report. Spring is on it’s way, I’m pretty sure that I want a motorcycle, my small group has begun again (ka-ching), and I picked up a second-hand Canon DSLR (that’s one of those big digital cameras, with the lenses and the functions). I’ve included two pictures that I just took with it, one of the motorcycle that I am thinking of purchasing, which is a Honda Benly 50s, and another of the sister of one of my students.
I read this in Oswald the other day: Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.
Sorry if this post was a little short, I’ll work on it for March. Have a great week!
~Dickie
JAPAN
YESSSSS. Here they are, the long suffering Japan photos. For those of you that don’t know, Garrett and I went to Japan for 3 FULL days of skiing at the end of December. After spending a week running around Korea, we flew to Narita Int. and then travelled to a little ski town called Nozawa Owsen, home to a serious ski resort called Nozawa Ownsen.
We left Seoul Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 28) and landed in Japan pretty late, after arriving at the resort very early in the morning on Wednesday (at about 1am, via taxi) we got some sleep and then we were on the slopes by 9. The first day was a blue bird day, with about 4 inches of day-old snow and most of the skiing was on corduroy lines (groomed snow). We were a little disappointed by the lack of real snow and by the amount of vegetation sticking through, but it was great because we got a good tour of the mountain. Our disappointment didn’t last, however, because the next morning (Thursday) it started dumping snow and just didn’t stop. Most of Thursday was spent trying to keep warm and out of the wind. Even though it was New Years Eve, Garrett and I went to bed early (after watching HEAT, ka-ching), hoping to catch fresh pow lines. Once again, we weren’t disappointed. We woke up Friday morning to 4 FEET of powder. It was just insane. I’d never seen that much fresh, fluffy, and dry snow in my life. Our friend Andy showed us all the great pow runs, and Garrett and I made hay. We flew out the next morning, Garrett to Portland and I back to Seoul.
Here’s the proof:
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- 1st Pow Run, Friday
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- Andy, Garrett and I, Friday
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- Japanese Bath House, Thursday
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- Blue Bird Day, Wednesday
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- The Bullet Train, Saturday
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- 4 Feet of Pow, Friday
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- Snow Cat, Wednesday
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- Our Room, Wednesday (1am)
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- Our Paper Window, Wednesday
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- Nozawa Ownsen Town, Wednesday
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- The Lodge, Thursday
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- Pow Run, Friday
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- The Diana, Wednesday
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- Outside, Friday
PS. A few other things; first, Japan is insanely expensive. The lift tickets and accommodations were reasonable, but everything else was very pricey. Second, the lodge rocked, it was called Resort Inn Toemu. It was only a short walk from the chairs, there was an enormous bath in the shower room, and the beds were soft and warm. Our friend Andy was on the staff and he was really helpful, he booked our taxi from Narita to Nozawa as well as made all our stay arrangements (and answered a million of our questions and showed us where the pow was). So good. Finally, thank you God for all the snow, the good friend that I have, for keeping us injury free, and for skis (and snowboards).
~Dickie
GARRETT DOES SOKO • NEAT
So Garrett made the long flight over during Christmas break and rather than getting all dewy-eyed with a long write up, I’ll just post the pictures of us in Korea. First we went skiing (the ski resort was on a golf course and the snow was completely man-made), then we were fitted for 100% handmade/custom suits, and for the rest of the time we bummed around Seoul. As you’d imagine we made a big scene and blew kisses at plenty of Korean girls and talked really loud and didn’t really follow the rules and went on lots of roof-tops that we weren’t supposed to go on and generally had a good old time. Japan skiing pictures to follow!
