Suwon
Well, since I last wrote I've discovered many buffet-style eateries for breakfast, lunch and dinner (Goldrush!) and have eaten momentous amounts of food to the disgusted amazement of our korean hosts.
The guy we are visiting basically created the Korean robotics industry over the last 20 years (i.e. all manufacturing automation of Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc, etc). Interesting fella. There's another visiting professor from France, who is always talking about how he wants another revolution there, and if Le Pen ever gets into power, he will take up arms and fight. Cool, I wanna see that.
Contrary to Chia's slightly harsh suggestion, there is certainly nobody in my hotel with even the slightest resemblance to Scarlett Johansson, nor (and I'd happily settle for this) Bill Murray. A couple of American blokes, who are talkative and friendly enough... but not very funny.
This arvo/evening one of the Korean blokes at the lab took me and my boss down to central Suwon (the city I'm staying in, 1hr from Seoul) to have a look at the old city walls/fortress. Some of it is old, but alot was bombed in the Korean war and has been rebuilt. Quite strange, to me, very asian-style gates and towers smack bang in the middle of the city.
Some pics:
Also, a woman lighting her stove with a blow-torch. Why not?
Afterwards we went and sampled various types of traditional Korean tea at a tiny little back alley tea-house owned by a friend of our guide's family. All the walls were covered in bits of Korean poetry. I didn't understand any of it, but I believe it referred to innermost feelings, possibly by making use of imagery.
Our guide explaining the intricacies of Korean culture my boss:
100 years ago, our guide's family was part of the Korean nobility, but then in one of many Japanese invasions almost all of his family were killed, just a thin line leading to him surviving. In all, Korea has apparently suffered 695 wars, usually as Japan, China and Russia fought over it and launched successive invasions. It seems that Korean people are, in general, sick and tired of it all and don't want to fight anymore. Where's Kamahl when you need him?
You don't notice the tension with the north. Nobody here takes it seriously. Nobody blinks at the low-altitude fly-bys of fighter jet squadrons six or seven times a day.
One more pic: the ancient gate of the city at night:
The guy we are visiting basically created the Korean robotics industry over the last 20 years (i.e. all manufacturing automation of Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc, etc). Interesting fella. There's another visiting professor from France, who is always talking about how he wants another revolution there, and if Le Pen ever gets into power, he will take up arms and fight. Cool, I wanna see that.
Contrary to Chia's slightly harsh suggestion, there is certainly nobody in my hotel with even the slightest resemblance to Scarlett Johansson, nor (and I'd happily settle for this) Bill Murray. A couple of American blokes, who are talkative and friendly enough... but not very funny.
This arvo/evening one of the Korean blokes at the lab took me and my boss down to central Suwon (the city I'm staying in, 1hr from Seoul) to have a look at the old city walls/fortress. Some of it is old, but alot was bombed in the Korean war and has been rebuilt. Quite strange, to me, very asian-style gates and towers smack bang in the middle of the city.
Some pics:
Also, a woman lighting her stove with a blow-torch. Why not?
Afterwards we went and sampled various types of traditional Korean tea at a tiny little back alley tea-house owned by a friend of our guide's family. All the walls were covered in bits of Korean poetry. I didn't understand any of it, but I believe it referred to innermost feelings, possibly by making use of imagery.
Our guide explaining the intricacies of Korean culture my boss:
100 years ago, our guide's family was part of the Korean nobility, but then in one of many Japanese invasions almost all of his family were killed, just a thin line leading to him surviving. In all, Korea has apparently suffered 695 wars, usually as Japan, China and Russia fought over it and launched successive invasions. It seems that Korean people are, in general, sick and tired of it all and don't want to fight anymore. Where's Kamahl when you need him?
You don't notice the tension with the north. Nobody here takes it seriously. Nobody blinks at the low-altitude fly-bys of fighter jet squadrons six or seven times a day.
One more pic: the ancient gate of the city at night:
posted by I-Rock at 2:40 PM
2 Comments:
Great pics! Korea looks so colourful! How awesome. Awwww ... nuff to make me wanna travel again. Eat something vaguely shaped like something you don't want to know about for me, will ya?
Already been offered dog, but I chickened out. Actually, I souped out (haw haw)
Mind you, I've also eaten a whole lot of crap that I have absolutely no clue what it was, so it's possible I've already eaten dog.
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