So, I was looking back at my schedule in 2004, when I was working at a hagwon in Gangneung (Gangwon-do).  I know it sounds ridiculous to say, but I can’t imagine working a 30 hour work week again.  I’m so used to taking it easy with 18 hours and having two days off.  (In comparison, Raswan works 12 hours a week!)

[Check out the entire Flickr album HERE.]

After a short stop there, we made it to a small lighthouse on the coast. Lo and behold, what did we see along the path?!

A few years ago, a photographer snapped this photo of us at the Yangyang Salmon Festival, and it has been used ever since for advertisement for the festival.

We then took the backroads to some “famous” restaurant for lunch. By the looks of it, I’m on a dongdongju binge. By binge, I mean 2-3 cups.

Unfortunately, Ras didn’t fully understand what we were having for lunch. Cold noodle soup is actually one of the few Korean foods he dislikes. It tasted good, but I personally prefer hot soups too.

Outside the restaurant were beautiful rice fields. It’s harvest time.

I had forgotten my lens cap in the restaurant and ran back inside to retrieve it. While I was gone, Ras snapped this photo.

“Oh no! Raswan, watch out! The creepy serial killer in the back seat is about to slit your throat!!!!”

We finally made it to Seorak-san as the sun was setting and people were leaving the grounds. It was getting dark, but we made it there, so we decided to at least take the 8000 won cable car up.

In the picture above, you can see Sokcho city to the left, and the ocean is in the horizon. Only 10% of the trees there were ablaze with Fall’s reds, oranges, or yellows. Still, the few I saw were very beautiful.

At the top, I had some guy take a picture of the three of us. The annoying thing is, he only took ONE! Come on, it’s digital. It doesn’t cost any more money to take 5 pictures and let the owner of the camera choose the best one. Instead, I had to choose the ONLY one. (I’m sure Reardon didn’t appreciate that photo, but hey… what can I do?)

It was really cold – about 10 degrees Celsius, and REALLY windy. From the photo, it looks like I’m have a great time, but look carefully at my fist. You just might see drops of blood trickling from my hand because my fingernails are dug in so deeply into my palms, due to the excruciating cold.

The boys tried to keep from falling down the mountain.

Happy to get back in the car, we drove back to Kangneung and checked into the Donga Hotel. Rooms were 40,000 or 50,000 won, and we chose the latter. I’d highly recommend it since it’s stumbling distance home from any downtown bar or restaurant.

The night was spent at The Warehouse, where there was a pool tournament going on. Raswan beat “big Ryan,” but lost the next round.

In the above picture is Lee, Raswan, and John. Lee is Ras’ former boss of three years and the two of them started “The Warehouse” when Ras was still in Kangneung.

The next day, we decided not to go the the Yangyang Salmon festival because 1) we didn’t pre-register to catch a salmon, 2) it’s only fun when you’re actually catching a fish there, and 3) it was TOO cold. Instead, we drove out to the countryside and had coffee at the Terarosa Coffee Factory. Ras and I had been there three years ago when it first opened. Back then, they served only coffee, and no food. It has expanded quite a bit.

I couldn’t pass up dessert with coffee! Here we have tiramisu and cheese cake. The tiramisu was delicious!

After coffee, we headed for Gyeongpo Beach. Reardon told us that the minbaks and mom and pop stores had all been torn down during the time PyeongChang was bidding for the Winter Olympics. It seems none of those people on the beach had any land rights to the property, and were just squatting there.

Before: May 2006 (See the green Family Mart sign in the back?)

After: Now (The Family Mart sign is under the sun.)

We then went to the Hyundai Hotel for a glass of wine before going back home. It was a beautiful day and the view was equally as beautiful. If you haven’t been, definitely make a trip out to Kangneung. It’ll be worth it, especially in the summer.

Back home we go…

Here’s a piece of advice to end this long post. If you’re ever on a road trip with friends, playing “20 Questions” with adults in not fun. Raswan chose “Tiger Wood’s Gatorade contract” and “the Maldives,” while I chose a “horseshoe.”

“Dano” is one of Korea’s four traditional festivals which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the lunar calendar. The “Gangneung Danoje,” with a history of more than 1,000 years, has been designated as one of the “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO. Programs will include rituals in honor of gods and performances of traditional music, dances and plays. Foreign performers from China, Japan, Vietnam, Estonia, Cambodia and Turkey will also introduce their traditional culture and martial arts.

For further information, visit the festival’s Web site http://www.danojefestival.or.kr or call 033-648-3014.

i’m in myongdong with reardon right now, watching crazy ajumas overturning a street vendor’s table. good stuff.

I hope Reardon is a little more cautious, or THIS could happen to him.

…as it did with a normally mild-mannered blogger.

The bitching by Koreans is well under way.  The name calling has begun (Fucking Swiss).  Ahh, the memories.  Remember when Koreans used to call us that during the Ohno speed skating incident?  "Fucking USA"… I remember when 10 year olds would say that to me.  To quote Robert from The Marmot’s Hole: Run, fondue eaters! Run for your lives! 

1. I’m making a soju + Strawberry Welch concoction, 2. Enjoying 40s, 3. Nipply out there, 4. Raswan and Melvin swimming

The boys got a little too drunk from the 40s, with Melvin passing out in the sand.  We were all "sun kissed" by the time we left at 6:30 pm.

12 bottles of Old English

The three of us stuffed ourselves with tuna and had some time to kill before the Mexico/Portugal game.  Ras wanted to go play pool, while Melvin and I wanted to make sticker pictures.  You know those booths in Japan, where you go in and wear funny costumes, get your pictures taken, then have them made into stickers?  Melvin flipped a coin and we won – stickers fun, here we come!

Ras squeezed in a Snow White dress with a viking hat.  Melvin worked a sequined silver jacket with Shrek horns.  I sported a Sailor Moon dress with a pirate hat and purple wig.  The photo session turned out to be a lot more fun than any of us expected.  Afterward, we got to basically "Photoshop" our pictures.  We were able to add backgrounds, cutesy border, flower stamps, write, and draw on our pictures.  I decorated the first 2 pictures below, while Melvin decorated the last two.  We paid for the highest quality pictures, which was 5000 won (about $5).  As you can see, the pictures were really bright and clear.  It was lots of fun.  I’d definitely recommend it!