Happy Independence Day, Korea!

After only two days of teaching, we already got to enjoy a much needed holiday weekend for Korean Independence Day. We heard fireworks from our apartment, so we rushed down to the river walk along the Han to watch. We came to this park once before, but it was completely flooded from monsoon rains. The river park is a very peaceful place with many unique happenings along its route. Our side is pretty quiet, but we did pass one group of people lighting candles, burning incense, clanging bells and chanting what we think were Buddhist prayers. On the opposite shore, we could hear the occasional sound of fireworks and other evidence of merry-making.

We took a trip to Dongdaemun, a section of Seoul with multiple high rise shopping malls, street vendors galore, stages with most entertaining teen dance performances and an artificial river walk. On the subway ride there, Ryan stood up to offer a lady and her son his seat. The little boy began adorably practicing his English with Ryan; "Where are you from? I'm from Korea." Then the father joined in and told Ryan; "you are handsome man." It made us very happy to have a conversation with a Korean family because this was one of the only times since we have been here that a stranger has spoken to us. We've learned that, in general, Seoulites keep quiet and to themselves on the subway/bus. Typically no one smiles at us, nor do they smile at one another. I've been told it's more of a Seoul thing than a Korean thing. I think because Ryan got up to let them sit down, we had officially acknowledged each other's existence, and so we were able to have had a nice few moments together until the family got off at their stop.

At Dongdaemun, a Korean T.V. station was shooting some kind of variety show that had something to do with the Olympics. These two boys were waiting to go on and perform. Ryan asked to take their picture, and they happily obliged, making the "kimchi sign." Koreans almost always make this sign in pictures; Instead of "cheese" they say "kimchi."

On the way home, we noticed that an unusually large number of people were watching the Olympics on their cell phones. When we got to our neighborhood, all of the shopkeepers in our little neighborhood of Bogwangdong were glued to their television sets. The excitement was all about baseball, and it wasn't just any matchup. Korea was playing Japan: a rivalry of epic and historic proportions. Korea won, and when the last out was called, we heard our neighborhood celebrate their independence for the 2nd night.