Saturday Excursion

This afternoon my host parents took me on an outing to see a lake and damn outside of Cheongju, as well as a traditional Korean folk village. It was a nice chance to spend some time with them. I also learned a whole lot about what life was like when they were growing up.

Host parents at the lake



In the mountains over to the left is the Korean version of Camp David. My host mom says she will take me there someday soon.


Statues of Korean patriots inside the folk village


Random art museum in the folk village...really liked these paintings though


Example of a commoner's house


My host mom told me that when she was little she had a "small chicken" that looked just like this (meaning small kitchen).


Buildings used to sell grains, dried fruits, etc.




A "Yeomak"...a hut built for the sole purpose of mourning. Some Koreans would mourn the loss of their parents for years at a time.


Inside the Yeomak


I thought it was really funny that inside the traditional Yeomak someone thought it was appropriate to include a modern Soju bottle.


Host dad and I


The village's guest house...I wouldn't mind staying here


These rock piles are all over the place in Korea. My host mom told me that people put rocks on top of the pile when they want to make a wish...I assume it's like the Korean version of throwing pennies in fountains.



We are going to come back and have a picnic here in the fall!


Also, here is your daily dose of funny homestay stories...

"Ok so last night I'm watching baseball with my homestay brother. He's about 15 and were both kind of tired. Gwangju is losing again so whatever. My host dad finally gets home acting completely smashed. He stripes down to his boxers (not unusual). Next he insists that my host brother and I also strip down to our boxers. We're like, this is weird but ok. I never know whats going on anyways. Now he indicates that we are to do pushups while he counts [o-ship, no less]. We start to do pushups and I'm cracking up laughing but host pops (an intimidating guy) indicates this is some serious shit. Whatever, we do our pushups. No he indicates that we are to lay on the floor. I'm sweating rather profusely by this time, and guess we are going to do situps. Not so. Instead he has me and my host brother arm wrestle. This is awkward and I try to keep it even but hes a young kid and eventually I win. In reward I get to / have to arm wrestle my host farther. So we're laying on our stomachs, only wearing boxers, arm wrestling. He makes a big deal of stretching / making strange noises. I let him win. In reward I am presented with bread and beer, and feel great. He asks me if I want to meet his parents in the country tomorrow. I say sure. He says it will be strenuous work harvesting all day in the fields, but because he knows I am strong, I will be able to "sweat a lot." Great."

"Today I went to the beach and got so sunburned that I look like an X-Man whose superpower is to look like a weirdo. I told my host mother that it really isn't a big deal, but after dinner she had me lie on the floor in the living room while she applied fresh-cut cucumber slices to my face. After she applied and removed two layers she declared that we needed a "massage upgrade" and she covered my face with some kind of pasty, gloopy cucumber mud mask and I continued to lie on the floor of the living room, unable to see, listening to some Korean drama on the television, hoping to God that my host father didn't walk in while I was in such a ridiculous position. Luckily the spa-treatment finished before pops got home."