Mountain Explorations

The week has been crazy. Last weekend was the first one I actually spent at home, so I definitely took advantage of the time to relax and do some more exploring of the area. I slept in on Saturday which was much needed, then hit up the farmers market to re-supply my kitchen with organic deliciousness. I never know what new bargains I'll find in the maze of produce, but this week it came with the 6 lb bag of black beans  I recieved in exchange for the 5,000 won (about $5) I handed over. Needless to say beans will not be in short supply any time soon. The evening came with drinks and good company at the plastic table of a local corner store, one of the many activities that ceases to amuse me.

The new ride.

Sunday became the long-awaited bike purchasing day! I finally have my very own wheels complete with a bell and a headlight. Naturally I took it for a test ride, which turned into an amazing 4 hour journey through the mountains and surrounding villages. I started out towards the mountain "Ilimsan" which was much farther away and a much steeper climb than  expected, but the tiny trail I decided to take led me directly into an undeveloped village that was apparently not used to sweaty foreigners passing through on bicycles. Regardless I said hello and managed to get some pictures in the emptier areas... hopefully not causing too much distress. The scenery remains to be completely surreal, and I feel the magnitude of  how beautiful it is can only be fully understood through experience; an experience I can hopefully share with a few potential visitors in the upcoming year.

Once I made it partially back down I decided to take a different route that looked interesting, this time leading me into an army training center. I started walking around outside the gate to take pictures of the trail and excellent view, soon to be stopped by an army official carrying a machine gun and yelling something that probably wasn't, "nice day for a bike ride." So my journey continued.  It turned out to be a great day, and a sufficient introduction to the bike adventures ahead.

I've done some traveling to nearby cities in the past month, and even though they're all equally engaging I  love returning to the peace of Jangheung. It's always interesting to feel like you're in the right place at the right time, usually because it takes awhile to adjust to any particular place. But that feeling is something I constantly get here, and even though I'd hoped for something similar this placement has turned into something increasingly ideal for me, and for that I also feel increasingly lucky.

Back to school on Monday! A new week brings new events. It's currently mid-term season in the public schools, causing a lot of added stress among the students and staff. There were a lot of schedule changes and added lessons in the mix with a staff volleyball tournament at a neighboring school (meant to 'keep good relationship' but intensely competitive and required careful strategy), extra after-school classes, a day of online training, a hike with the principle and science teachers, and a random teacher seminar on Thursday.  Lots of business, which also made the week fly.

I set out for the big city of Gwangju on Saturday to rejoin some travel companions and to get my fix of civilization. Lunch consisted of an international food festival that was 15 different stands set up from around the world, an excellent way to grab some comfort food and try numerous (6 to be exact) other international entrees. Our group then split off until dinner later that evening, so I spent the rest of the day exploring  the festival downtown and and watching the numerous different kinds of live music scattered throughout the streets. It was a full day, and didn't actually end until 5:00 the next morning when we realized that dancing is tiring. Friday I'll be heading to Seoul, which should be yet another memorable excursion.

Random happening of the week: Running towards a Buddhist monk on a trail, who raised his arms in a giant wave yelling, "HELLO! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!" I yelled back, "Thank you!" with the same level of energy...prompting him to come towards me for a giant embrace. What a welcome. It was a very emotionally charged and happy few seconds.

Jangheung river valley- 10/2.

"Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we sense them. The least we can do is try to be there."  -Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

More again soon! Have a fantastic week.