Dorocksan and Rambling

Today I will share about the weekend. Then I have a mental catalogue of observations I would like to write down before I forget them. And a couple other things I want to get down before they too are forgotten.

Now that I am approaching a 60 hour work week I am making more efficient use of my time. It is not exactly accurate that I work 60 hours, but I am out of the house by 9am and return after 9pm. I like to be at work a couple hours early to enjoy my coffee, read news, email, and prepare for the day. It is quiet in the morning and I enjoy the down time. The Head Master occasionally comes by in the early morning, I think to turn off the lights, until he sees me and says "Hello Good Morning" the extent of his English. I greet him in Korean.

Wednesdays I continue on with Korean Class. It is at the Jecheon MultiCultural Family Center. The 3, or 4 story building is newly refurbished. Every door, wall, and light is new. The paint is still wet. There are posters, pamphlets and pictures up everywhere. The MCFC offers training, family counseling, and multicultural activities. The walls haves pictures of trips to Thailand, Madagascar, and others. The Center has classrooms, computer labs, offices, and what looks like a kitchen lab to teach cooking. Lessons are slow. I copy the Korean letters under a picture, say the word, and copy the letters again. I'm on chapter three. I read Korean very slowly but I am reading and writing Korean.

That I no longer go to the gym I invested in a cushion for home to do sit-ups and push-ups (12,000 won). I will buy some dumbbells soon. Weekends I make a point to hike both days. Saturday Sang Heoun and I brought a British girl, and Canadian of Indian descent with us on a 3km hike to 856 meters. They made it to the top.

Sunday Sang Heoun and I drove 40 minutes to a Korean National Park where we climbed Dorocksan. I believe it means "Stone Mountain." This was far more challenging and beautiful than our local mountains. The hike is a 5 hour 6.3km ordeal. There were 4 buses in the parking lot with Seoul's Alpine club. They were a mix of 30-65 year olds. Many people in their 50s. They were pretty funny about their outfitting. Head to toe in the latest gear, back packs filled bursting with extra stuff, carbon fiber walking poles, and then some. One guy had an ice pick, and he didn't seemed bothered there was no ice. Being the only American on the mountain I was obligated to be in a picture or two with some climbers. In the most random places people ask to take a picture with me because I live in a monoculture.

The mountain itself was a long climb that brought us to 5-6 peaks. After climbing the first peak we walked the ridges to the next peak. At times the ridges are only two feet wide of uneven rock, requiring continuous acending and descending. To either side was a fall of 300-1000 feet.

A few random things that I want to get down before I forget. Guns are not common in Korea. I don't think the military even carry bullets. When I was walking up to my bank I noticed 2 men unloading a pallet of shrink wrapped cash. It was on the sidewalk next to the front door of the bank. The pallet was a standard size pallet, and the shrink wrapped cash was approaching 3 feet high. The guard didn't have a gun, he had a small club. I felt a bit uncomfortable with the scenario, that I think I made the guard nervous.

There is a scooter shop near my apartment. They leave scooters and ATV's along the curve over the weekend. They also leave the keys inside the vehicles, even though they are closed all weekend.

And for my own benefit. I finished Pillars of the Earth. Excellent book. I am reading a book on conversation written sometimes in the early, or middle 1800s. I'm also reading Ben Franklin's autobiography on ebook.