|
The above will search Traveljapanblog.com. Concerts - Landscapes - Sports |
Jangseung (장승 or village guardian)
Today’s photo comes from the grounds of the Gwangju Folk Museum. Wooden totem poles are common in Korea, but in the southern portion of South Korea you will also see stone versions. Jeju has its own kind called “dol hareubang” that look somewhat similar to this one.
Sung-bae Kim, submarine pitcher
Kim had a good year last year for the Giants (of Busan, South Korea) with an ERA of 3.05 and 31 saves. He also struck out nearly three batters for each one that he walked. Korea is a hitter’s league so these stats are better than they may appear compared to MLB or Japan.
Look closely at the crowd. Late in the game nearly everyone pulled out an orange plastic bag, blew it up, and put it on their heads. I have no idea why. I never saw this happen in Gwangju at the Tigers games except the one time they were playing the Giants in which case a few of the visiting fans did the same thing.
Gwangju’s Speakeasy
If you ever find yourself in Gwangju, you may notice that socializing can be rather difficult. This is especially true if you can’t speak Korean and are by yourself. Unlike Japan, where I can walk into any establishment and quickly make friends, Korea can be rather isolating. Menus in restaurants and bars are designed for groups, not individuals, in Korea. Seating is designed for groups. If I walked into any normal pub in Korea, there was no place for me. Nor would anyone attempt to communicate. People simply don’t go out by themselves.
I read online about Speakeasy, drew a map, and headed out. The neighborhood was a long bike ride from where I was staying on the CNU campus. However, even after finding the general area, I couldn’t find Speakeasy. Eventually I did, but it wasn’t easy. Nor was it the second or third time I visited. The streets surrounding it are a maze. Maybe if you have GPS it won’t be so bad. In any event, Speakeasy is a place you should find if you are in Gwangju.
Lyman Tomlinson grave in the UN Memorial Cemetery (Busan, South Korea)
I went to the UN Memorial Cemetery for the Korean War in Busan last July. It’s a cemetery in Korea for Korean War participants from a dozen countries or so. Very few of the graves are for Americans as most of those were moved to the USA long ago.
The experience was very moving. Several Korean people there asked me where I was from and when I told them the US, they were very thankful. When I told them my dad was in the Korean War they were even more appreciative. I explained that my father’s job during the war was more or less a desk job in Japan, but they said they didn’t care. The fact that he was involved in any way was all that mattered. One guy got down on the ground and started bowing and crying. He made me cry too.
I love bacon. I love a good pulled-pork sandwich. However, I don’t like to see where these items came from. I like to buy my bacon sliced and wrapped in a refrigerated section of a grocery store, not outside in a plastic basket (for who knows how long) on a hot and humid day with bugs swarming and smells so intense that your nostrils are singed. Marketing is a bit different depending on the culture I suppose.
May 18th National Cemetery