We're at the last weekend in March and pay day's not 'till Tuesday. So the question today was what could we do on a beautiful sunny day. At 5 bucks or less. I took the planning reins today and decided it was time to venture out of Seoul for a few hours at least, and settled upon the page in my Lonely Planet book that has been dog eared for some months. Suwon Fortress. It's a 220 year old fortress in a suburb South of Seoul where the motto is "Happy Suwon." Maranda, Shaun, and I took a bus to the city, and after a tense start where I was forced to recognize that bus 7007-1 is NOT the same as bus 7007- I discovered a near fluent English speaker in the front row of the bus who helped me figure out where to go. Like Blanche DuBois, it's important-when a permanent traveler- to depend on the kindness of strangers. Because they're always there.
We managed to find the fortress and walked around for a few hours. We went up a large hill that gave us a great view of Suwon city. I realize urban settings are rarely described as beautiful but there's a dirty prettiness to all cities to me. Particularly when you can get yourselves in that vantage point where you're looking down on it all rather than up. I mean, how often do you get to look down at anything when you're in a city? After the hike we wandered down, coming across a giant bronze buddha, a wall of painted cavalries and sentries heading off to battle, and a minature traditional village where a local attempted to teach me how to play on a teeter totter type contraption. As it turns out, adults in Suwon, like those we met in Beijing, also like to play.
1 comment:
Hi Megs!
Where are the pictures of this fortress? It sounds like it was a lovely day of not spending money. Only one more day and then its a new month and payday, right? Although, it's probably already 4/1 there. So I attempted to start my VT taxes this morning and did not get beyond writing my basic information down. Think I might need a little of mi padre's help...:)
My YAP job has been tough these last couple of weeks. I have one girl who is 15 going on 20 who only wants to party, smoke pot and is ALWAYS right. And then, I have another girl who just turned 16 and I have been working with her for the last 3 months. Just found out a couple of days ago that not only is she failing every single class at school, she hasn't been to school for the last 2 weeks. AND she is 3 months pregnant. So basically she is worse off now than when I initially started working with her. Crazy depressing, let me tell you, to see her putting so much obstacles in her way. I'm not saying she has no hope of breaking the cycle of poverty she's in, but she is making it that much harder for herself.
Anyways, just wanted to share my difficulties, didn't know how your new class of kids are but hopefully they are nicer than your last bunch. And be glad you aren't dealing with teenage girls! Love you lots and miss you even more, as does Boris.
Love,
Kelli
P.S. Listening to Les Miserables as I write this.
Makes me think of the historical debates among the Reddy family on which is better- Phantom or Les?
To be or not to be, chicken or egg...is there really an answer to any of these? hehe
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