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The Financial Times May Be the World’s Best Newspaper
The UK’s Financial Times may be the world’s best newspaper due to its coverage of every region in the world. One blog that addresses Korea is called Beyond Brics (there is a link on the left side of the screen).
Recently, this short article about Korea, and its pursuit of securing energy. The article doesn’t address one critical issue: the need for a national energy policy. China, with its centralized economy, clearly has an energy policy due to its large population. While much smaller, the need for Korea to secure energy resources from outside its borders will not go away anytime soon, if ever.
The Seoul Gyopo Guide has made this point frequently; the Korean economy is, unfortunately, exposed to its natural shortcomings, such as lack of energy resources, small geographical size, and relatively small population. The need for continuous development of its social and legal structure is necessary in order to address these shortcomings. Why? Securing agreements with foreign countries and foreign companies will require Korea to adhere to internationally accepted standards. There are many, many alternate buyers of these resources. So, while the FT article points out that Korea is trying address its energy needs, how Korea conducts itself, both domestically, and when dealing with foreign countries and companies, will be critical. This is not a matter of “foreigners invading,” or “Korea losing its identity.” It is a matter of addressing the economic limitations of Korea for the benefit of its citizens.
Jesus Christ – a fitting place to start part 2 of the Jeonju post. Part 1 is here, so go back and read it again!
One Jeonju landmark is the Jeondong Catholic Church. It borders the Jeonju Hanok Village, and is noted as National Treasure #288 by the powers that be. They neglect to mention much of the church’s history on the official tourist page, as well as Korea’s past towards making martyrs of Catholics in this very place. A sign on-site honors the memories of two martyrs executed here in 1791 and two more in 1801. French Father Baudounet began the construction in 1908 as the Joseon Dynasty came to an end. Completed in 1914, this is the largest Western-style structure in southwest Seoul – perhaps not a reason to visit on its own, but combine it with the other sights around Jeonju to make the trip that much more interesting.
The dozens of stained-glass windows inside are gorgeous. While there are no (visible) rules on photography, not disturbing the faithful would seem to be a paramount concern.
Although under construction, the Jeonju Pungnammun was the south gate of Jeonju’s fortress, and is the only one that’s left. First built during the Goryeo dynasty, the gate was burned down in the 16th century, then was rebuilt in 1768 by Jeolla’s governor and named Pungnammun. The gate was under construction – of course, more than a few locals decided to jump the flimsy fence and photograph what’s inside.
The gate’s door – rusted but firm.
Quite similar to Gwanghwamun gate at Gyeongbokgung in Seoul, the ceiling of the gate hasn’t yet been repainted, but I suspect it’s in the works.
Another stop was the 정주 객사 (Jeonju Gaeksa), or a guest house for Joseon-dynasty envoys and officials. These days it’s more of a place to sit and rest, or perhaps a landmark for the shopping street (객시길) next door:
The long, straight aisle offered a few side streets, but for the most part was similar to most other shopping places around Korea.
Our most curious stop was the supposed Jeonju Chinatown:
A fairly impressive facade doesn’t make up for the complete lack of people – and almost complete lack of businesses! No Chinese food places, no visible Chinese presence… well, OK, there is a tourist information center:
Yeah… Not only is the place closed, it’s decrepit. If you’re coming to Jeonju, you can skip the Chinatown completely and not miss a thing.
Next stop – Imokdae and Omokdae:
Pretty. Omokdae’s claim to fame: where Yi Seong-gye returned to after triumphantly defeating Japanese pirates at Hwangsan in 1380. The monument dates to 1900, and then-King Gojong wrote the inscription.
Try not to look too underwhelmed here – there is some history behind the structure (there always is), but most people seemed more interested in letting their children run around or in hiking to this, the top of the hill. Imokdae’s claim to fame is being the residence of the great-great-great-grandfather of King Taejo. Historic? Technically, yes – but in this case, drop the history lesson and enjoy a breath of fresh air before continuing your journey.
Our next major stop: 전주 향교 (Jeon-ju Hyang-gyo), or the local Confucian school. The yangban (aristocratic class) would send their sons here during the Joseon Dynasty. The school was moved to the current location in 1603 because the previous place was too far from the center of town. The 350-year-old trees bear witness to the area’s enduring status, even as the buildings have been repaired and restored.
While most of the school / shrine seems well-maintained or under construction, this mysterious stairway was hidden from view, discovered only accidentally while trying to figure out how to get to the building at top.
The man himself. This shrine is in serious need of restoration, with quite a bit of rotting wood on the porch. An old stone monument seemed to identify the place or person, but the entire thing was in Chinese hanja.
A few buildings are still under construction, so head there to see the old and new.
Our last major stop – 덕진공원 (Deokjin Park). Deokjin Lake makes up a healthy portion of the park, complete with lotus flowers during the summer and the long suspension bridge you see above. There’s a pleasant sculpture park as well:
같은곳 그자리 (Beside the spot) by 한상진 (Han Sang-jin).
The Lady in Red and I relaxed and watched the sun go down before heading back to Jeonju station
Ratings (out of 5 taeguks): How do I rate destinations?
Ease to arrive:
Foreigner-friendly:
Convenience facilities:
Worth the visit:
Directions: Getting around Jeonju is relatively easy, as virtually every bus in town stops by Jeonju Hanok Village. Use this as a central point, as Jeondong Catholic Church and Jeonju Pungnammun are right across the street from the Hanok Village, while Imokdae and Omokdae are up the hill from the Hanok Village. Jeonju Hyanggyo is within walking distance and part of the village.
Directions to Deokjin Park: From Jeonju train station, take city bus 21, 109, 111, 113-1, or 142. You should be able to catch some or all of these buses from the Hanok Village as well.
This post was originally published on my blog ,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.
Some Words Have Different Meaning in the UK Compared to the US
There are many words that have different meanings in the US when compared to the UK. The word “pissed” means very different things in the two countries.
In the US, the word “pissed” means very angry. It is often used with the word “off”. “Pissed off” means that you are/were very upset for some reason (whether rightfully or not). When someone does something to make you very angry, then that something “pissed me off.”
Examples
(o) I was very pissed off when I lost the deciding game of the tennis match.
(o) Man, she really pissed me off when she started dating that other guy.
In the UK, however, the word “pissed” means an adjective.
Examples
(o) After drinking 10 bottles of beer in 90 minutes, Mr Jones was pissed.
(o) I was so pissed, I couldn’t see straight.
Notes
This is not acceptable language to use in any formal setting. It is a light swear word. Although not vulgar, there isn’t a professional or educational situation when using this word would be appropriate. Nevertheless, this is commonly used word in both the US and the UK, even though the meanings are very different.
Don't get me wrong. The Haeundae area has its charms. The always fun Wolfhound Busan is there for drinks and good Western food, there's Rock & Roll Bar's stunning 14th floor view of the beach, there's the Western comforts of Bennigans and Fuzzy Navel, a pretty good Indian feed to be had at Ganga, the often talked about Sharkies (which I've yet to visit), a pretty damned good aquarium, and it's close to the seaside temple I visited with my friend Heather earlier this year. But for my money, and I reserve the right to change my mind once summer rolls around and I have more chances to explore, Gwangalli Beach in Gwangan is by far the better of the two beaches. Where Haeundae is overshadowed by unsightly sky-scrapers and chain restaurants, Gwangalli has a far less oppressive stretch of trendy bars and restaurants that offer a great view of the beach. By day the bridge in the distance might be a bit of an eyesore, but at night it's transformed by an ever shifting light show. The far end of the beach, with an improbably ugly skyscraper marring the view, is host to a tiny amusement park by the name of ME World as well as a swathe of fish restaurants with increasingly aggressive hawkers outside attempting to lure you inside.
I first stumbled upon Gwangalli Beach while meeting up with my good friends Anne, Jinho, and Crystal at one of the two Thursday Party locations on the strip. They are separated by a single store-front, and both manage to be just different enough that it's worth visiting both. I've got an entry in the works in praise of the very cool Thursday Party empire - but suffice to say it's refreshing to find a bar with custom made beer pong tables, a great selection of cocktails, and owners who aren't above spending their time shooting some darts or sharing a few beers with you.
The 12,000 won cab ride (approximately $12 Australian) was a bit heftier than I was used to paying for a night out, but as the glittering expanse of ocean came into view I was glad I'd decided against an early night. The purples and greens from the bridge mingled with the twinkling of stars and city lights in a way that, while not comparable to the ride over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, made me just a little homesick. Like most Australians I feel most at home by the water, and I resolved to spend some more time exploring the area.
I've recently begun seeing somebody and, when she came down to Busan for the weekend, I decided to take her out and show her Gwangali Beach and explore a little more of it for myself. Busan had turned out a pleasant enough spring day - and while the 16 degree temperatures weren't going to have me rushing for the doubtlessly icy water - they at least meant I could stroll down the beach in a t-shirt and not feel like a lunatic. With stomachs rumbling our first port of call was Fuzzy Navel - a local Mexican chain that boasts overpriced Coronas and a better Mexican spread than you'd expect from a country where corn is a pizza mainstay and sweet potato is often used as decoration on a birthday cake. Prices are a bit more lavish than you'll usually pay for a meal out in Korea. A plate of nachos (completed with jalapeños, refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream), a Corona, some vegetarian quesadillas, and a vegetable and refried bean burrito set us back just shy of 40,000 won. Roughly $40 Australian. But it was worth the extra cash. The sun was out and we were out on the deck admiring the ocean view and appreciating a little taste of home. It might not be a patch on the Mexican fare available in Seoul and I'm not sure cabbage was ever meant to be served atop corn chips and salsa - but a visit to Fuzzy Navel isn't a bad way to change things up from the ddok galbi and kimbap triangles. Full of delicious food and ready for the next leg of our adventure, we strolled along the waterfront until we happened upon a street lined with booths all offering the same sideshow alley game - the age old challenge pitting a man armed with darts against a wall of balloons. Gentleman that I am, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to win my lady friend a little stuffed companion, and so I sunk 10,000 won into winning her a tiny stuffed puppy that she imaginatively dubbed 'Chris Puppy'. Buoyed by my dashing display of manliness, I then opted to show off my skills as a bull-rider at ME World. As far as 'amusement parks' go, ME World isn't much to write home about. There's a half dozen rides, a few sideshow games, a decent little indoor arcade, and some batting cages. The staff never seem to be at their posts but are quick to rush over if they see you fumbling with some cash and the place looks like it might just cause tetanus - but there's something to be said for a good old fashioned fair atmosphere. But back to the bull. I was an abject failure at the first attempt, barely lasting three seconds, but made a much better show of things second time around and drew an appreciative crowd of bemused Koreans. My display seemed to signal a renaissance for the ride as well - and it didn't want for customers for the remainder of our time there. Kimberly's own choice of ride was considerably less adventurous than my own, as she plodded around the park on a mechanized panda for a few minutes to the amusement of myself and one or two of the staff.
Before too long the sky had turned foul and it was time to head for shelter - a cup of hot chocolate at Tom & Toms and then the privacy of a DVD Bang. For those not in the know - a DVD Bang is a room you can rent for about $15. It comes with a DVD of your choice projected onto the wall, an almost comfortable couch-bed to recline on, a few free snacks if you're lucky, and the privacy that is sometimes hard to come by in Korea. The box of tissues on the nightstand and the plastic covered pillows left us under no illusions as to what the place was usually used for - but I'll have my readers know that there was no hanky panky to be had. Far from it. Kimberly spent a few hours catching some zzzzzs while I endured my second screening of 2012. Rejuvenated from our rest we forged on for an evening of revelry in the surrounding area. A buffet dinner in Sooyoung to celebrate my friend Rhi's birthday and then back to Thursday Party to meet Anne and Crystal. I green suited up in a belated tribute to St. Patrick; grimaced my way through an awful green beer; and then it was time to call it a day. A late night walk along the beach brought our day's exploring to an end, but I'm sure I'll be back in Gwangali again before too long. Maybe even this weekend...
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Normally I’d reserve something like this for the next “Korean Gender Reader” post, but then this is simply one of the most appalling things I’ve seen on Korean television in nearly 11 years here. Or, as a friend put it, it’s “totally fucking reprehensible”, and in the strange event that it’s not rapidly removed from YouTube because of the overwhelmingly negative response, then we’ll both be calling Arirang TV to complain about it.
A quick language note before you begin watching however: a mistake many Korean learners make, including myself, is to complement someone by saying “건강해 보여요”, or literally “healthy [you] look”. Unfortunately, it turns out that when “healthy” is used like this, it actually means “fat”, an already strange connotation that is nevertheless carried to absurd proportions in the video.
For further context, see Korean Sociological Image #21 also, on popular calf-reduction surgery.
(For all posts in the Korean Sociological Image series, see here)
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