Mokpo - 목포시 Gatbawi and Nearby Museums

Over the weekend I spent two full days in the city of Mokpo. This city is well known as a port city in the southwestern part of South Korea. During my time there I took nearly 200 photos and went to many tourist attractions. However, I would still like to return during a festival someday to experience why it is called the city of light. I was unable to see their dancing light water fountain or the street of light during this visit.

The first place I saw upon arriving was called Gatbawi - 갓바위 (literally translated as "hat rock"). There are several different stories, or legends, about the formation of the rocks, but the one that is displayed beneath the rocks themselves was something like this:  A son moved away to earn money to help his sick father, but the money was never given to him after his work and in the son's absence his father passed away. The son felt immense regret at having not been there in his father’s last moments, so he wanted to give him a decent burial. However, while moving his father’s coffin, it slipped into the sea by accident and sank. Feeling even worse, he sat by the sea for the rest of his life and always wore a hat so that he could not see the sky. He felt that he did not deserve to see the sky after what he had done. After the son's death, two rocks arose in that spot in the shape of hats, one is said to represent the father and the other the son.

Shoreline Near Gatbawi

 If you look closely at the rocks, and use a bit of imagination, I think the rocks do somewhat resemble hats. Either way, the story is not only touching, but also shows a bit of the culture of the area and how much Koreans value family. The rocks are made up of natural sandstone and have formed this hat shape over time thanks to erosion caused by their proximity to the sea. Gatbawi is a good starting point for a tourist to visit.

Shoreline Near Gatbawi

I say that the Gatbawi rocks are a good place to start touring because they are a very well know landmark. It is quite simple for foreigners to get a taxi there since most taxi drivers know the Gatbawi area, even if they don’t speak English. Plus, there are many other attractions nearby Gatbawi. Toward the East is where the light fountain can be found, and to the west of Gatbawi there are multiple museums and a park that are very lively and interesting. When I had set out I had no intention of going to any museums that day, but I stumbled upon a street full of them and decided to check the entry fee. The adult ticket price for the Mokpo Natural History Museum was only 3,000 won, so I decided to check it out. Turns out, the ticket was good for all three museums in that area, not just one.

First, I visited the Mokpo Natural History Museum and I was very excited. Since I just finished my bachelors in zoology it was nice to see something familiar. Outside the museum there were many animal sculptures to see. Now, there were signs saying not to climb on them, but there were many Korean families there with their young children, allowing them to ride the animals and having the best of times. The place looked very kid-friendly and seemed like a popular place for families to spend time together on the weekend. Entering the museum felt like I was walking back into the laboratories at my university and I felt right at home there. The displays are amazing and have many descriptions (in Korean). They had dinosaur skeletons in the main entrance to catch everyone’s attention, which is pretty standard I think. As you look around more they have fantastic taxidermy displays of all types of fauna, from fish, reptiles and amphibians to insects, birds and mammals. They had up to date phylogenies on the walls to show the evolutionary relationships between different lineages as well, which impressed me. In the ecological area of the museum there were extensive samples of different flora that could be found in South Korea. There were pull out drawers that displayed many different species of plants and also were samples in glass cases lining the wall which were back-lit to create a beautiful display. Overall I thought that the museum’s collection of samples was thorough and interesting for all ages, including well-made, eye catching displays.

 

Dinos at the front entrance

Fauna Display

Butterfly Display

Flora Display

Flora Display

The second museum that I visited was the Mokpo Literary Museum. Despite being called a literary museum, there is more inside than the name suggests. Inside this museum is everything from literary pieces and historical artifacts to currency from throughout the world. The currency exhibit was my favorite room in this museum because unlike most currency displays that I have seen this one did not focus solely on currency of South Korea. Instead, the exhibit had currency from all areas of the world both current and historical. I thought this was very unique and it meant I was able to compare currencies from many countries at one time. This room also had pull out drawers lining the walls with many samples of coins from each area. There was an area of the exhibit which focused on currency from the historical periods of South Korea as well, and showed currency used through several of the dynasties and even rare currency of the country. What I wouldn’t give to find some rare currency along my travels…that would be amazing.

My Ticket

Rare Korean Currency

Korean Currency

History of Mokpo

The final museum I saw was the Mokpo Ceramic Livingware Museum. Initially I thought this museum would be very boring, and I expected it to be an in-and-out type of visit. I was mistaken. The entire first floor of the museum is set up for children…or children-at-heart visitors. There were many hands-on displays. These displays showed different styles of pottery and even included pottery shaped puzzles. These puzzles were harder to put together than I expected. It took my friend and I eight minutes to put one together, since the first try it became unstable and fell apart. Everything inside was vibrantly colored and fun to see and experience. Then there were also exhibits showing how traditional pottery was handmade and many cases showing historical ceramics, porcelain, and other types of pottery. I wasn’t disappointed about my decision to give this museum a chance. Plus, for only 3,000 won (which is less than $3 USD) the price was more than reasonable for entrance into three museums and the amount of displays available. Definitely worth the visit.

Ceramic Livingware Museum

Traditional Pottery Hand-Making Procedure

Pottery Puzzle

The Research Institute for Maritime History Museum and additional museums are located in the nearby area as well.

Past these museums there was a very beautiful park that looked like a popular spot to spend time. It was quite large, with a small mountain of bare rock on the right-hand side. There were trails leading up the small mountain that you could hike and many trees and shrubs planted around to make the place look really nice. There were areas to sit and areas for children to play as well. Something told me that the area is probably a hit in the summer, a fun place near the shoreline for friends and family alike to have fun and socialize with one another. If I was living in Mokpo I probably would’ve made this park one of my regular spots to enjoy the outdoors and local life.

In the downtown area nearby there is a street called the Street of Roses that also seems to be a popular place for young people and couples. The street was lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants and no cars could drive down this street. Instead, in the center of the street there was a path with trellises that arch over it and shrubs lining the walkway. In the spring and summer this area would've been filled with greenery and flowers growing up the trellises. Since it is winter now there were no flowers growing, but I certainly would go there again if I find myself there in summertime. I am certain it would be enchanting and lively there, with the natural beauty combined with food, coffee, couples, and consumerism. 

For more information on museums in Mokpo click here.
For more information on Mokpo click here or visit eng.mokpo.go.kr

Address for the Natural History Museum (and others surrounding nearby...)

135, Namnong-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do

전라남도 목포시 남농로 135 (용해동)

Movie Review - A review with culture difference rant accompaniment

Well if there is one thing that I have learned as I watch Korean movies, is that you CANNOT hold them to American standards. In some ways, this is a fun fact and in others incredibly disastrous. I mean this because if you are used to American movies, the type where everything works out, or you know you don’t have to really fear if the main character is in danger because they could never die... because you could never kill of the main character…it doesn’t work like that in Korea. Be prepared for movies that are never predictable. Be prepared for movies where the main character tragically dies unexpectedly. Be prepared for movies that leave no clear ending, but rather leave you to interpret the ending in your own way. Be prepared for movies that have no closure. Be prepared for movies where love does not conquer all… These are some things that frustrate me, anger me, and at some points make me so desperate that I have fits of irritation where I blame Korea for not knowing how to make a movie properly. Well that is just how it is here, and the thing is…Korean movies are usually pretty amazing. The acting is great, the cinematography well done, and they usually have intriguing and compelling stories…realistic ones even. Now as a foreigner I am not the best judge of the movie quality compared to someone who is a native, but personally I think the movies are great. Sometimes the not-knowing is what makes me so sucked into these movies. That being said, I would like to rant about two that I have seen recently.

SPOILER ALERT

-          Train to Busan (Released July 2016) 

Now if you like a good Zombie movie, this is it. I liked the plot line and I thought that for once the gore aspect was not overdone like movies in the USA. I liked the way that changing into a zombie was depicted as well. The acting and scenes were dynamic, suspenseful, and detailed. The thing that irks me is that love does not conquer all in this movie. Most of the main characters die and it initially infuriated me. The two elderly sisters on the train, who deeply love one another, who against all odds made it all this time without succumbing to the infection? They die. One sacrifices herself to do the right thing. The other… to be with her sister. Two young lovers? (Choi Woo-shik and Ahn So-hee) No, they don’t fall for each other as they encounter danger, only to barely make it out alive and finally confess their feelings. They die…unhappily at that. The newly married husband and wife (Ma Dong-seok and Jung Yu-mi) who are expecting a child, the husband being a rich character with a wonderful, caring personality and a charming wife? He DIES. And finally, the most important character of all. The father (Gong Yoo), who is taking his young daughter (Kim Su-an) to visit her mother on her birthday. The father who has a lot to make up to his daughter since he is always too busy to spend time with her. The father who fights so hard to make it to Busan’s safe zone with his daughter and gets them nearly all the way to Busan. HE DIES. When he learned that his company could be partially responsible for the outbreak I thought that was a clue. When he was bitten, I wasn’t worried. “They were nearly to the safe zone, surely they were working on a cure. If it was his company, he must have some idea how to reverse or at least hold off the effects until he can find help…” These thoughts ran through my mind. This is what would happen had it been an American movie. But NO…HE DIES! Leaving only the daughter and pregnant, now-widowed wife to survive out of the entire train full of people. Two people who while they were important characters, were only depicted as supporting characters for the leads. They were the reasons the main characters fought so hard…only to die. The movie had a wonderful plot line, and the deaths were just and filled with symbolic meaning, but since I was expecting an American style movie such as those I was used to, I was highly unprepared for the ending. If you are going to watch Korean movies as an American…you have to throw out all you think you know about movies, and you cannot effectively predict or think a character is safe. Knowing and accepting this will make Korean movies much more enjoyable than they already are. Then you will be able to enjoy a movie without the irritated grumbling that usually occurs after I watch a movie, and you won’t need to call up your Korean friends and make them listen to your detailed complaints about all your expectations that the movie didn’t follow through with either.

A Werewolf Boy (Released November 2012)

This is another awesome movie. Basically, Song Joong-ki, the main character (best known for his acting in Descendants of the Sun - one of my favorites) is a mistreated boy who has had experiments done on him his entire life, been treated like a dog and successfully made to transform into one when under extreme stress or endangerment. When his ‘master’ who experimented on him dies, a new family moves onto the property and the 17-year-old daughter (played by Park Bo-yeong) finds the boy. The family, thinking he is a teenage orphan, takes him in.  He is a strange boy and acts very much like a stray dog, so the eldest girl, picking up on this ‘trains’ him. He grows attached to her and it ends up becoming a mutual feeling. BUT, at the same time the jerk who gave the family the property (and suitor of the girl) gets jealous and harasses the girl, endangering her and therefore making the werewolf boy turn to protect her. Main point being, others find out about him and scientists come for research, enforcements come to put him down, and the girl tries to protect him from others finding out by playing the one boy off as a crazy, misunderstood jerk. So, the crazy jerk tries shooting the girl to set werewolf boy off, it works, and the boy and girl run off together. Then the girl leaves him there for his own safety, leaving him a note she will return. The family leaves, they move out of the country and she NEVER COMES BACK! Then when she is old and gray she gets a call about selling their property in Korea so she returns there with her granddaughter, only to find the werewolf boy, still the same age, waiting for her there like she asked him to. Waiting for like 47 years for her to come back! He even learned to speak for her! She had this whole happy life and never once came back for him and suddenly feels so guilty. She should feel guilty! This is another one of those moments where I would say this would never happen in an American based film. The whole love conquers all rule doesn’t apply in this film either. Had it been an American film, she would’ve come back for him, or they would’ve just run away together in the first place, and they would’ve remained together as they should have. Either that, or the werewolf boy would have been killed, and she would have been sad but moved on in the future. The fact that it ended with the depressing fact that the handsome, heartwarming boy waited over 40 years for the one he loved to return and that she only did so due to a legal matter was just not the typical plotline that I had expected. Had the girl never thought of him, of what he meant to her, what had become of him, if he was waiting like she had initially asked of him?!?!?! This movie has one of those endings that also is set up so that the watcher kind of makes their own interpretation of what happened. So, there is no clear-cut answer for how it really ends the way I understood it. I hoped for a happy ending for them both.

I thought that Song Joong-ki played the role of Chul-Su really well in this film. His mannerisms and behavior seemed to be very well modeled after that of a dog. At the same time the film was touching in the connections the boy made (with the girls, the neighborhood kids, his new family) and the trials that he went through. You are really rooting for him in the movie, which is why his lonely devotion is so heartbreaking. This film is most certainly a tearjerker, but I recommend it. 

Najusi - 나주시 My New Home

So today I finally came to my new hometown of Naju. I was able to see my apartment for the first time and I must say, it isn’t half bad. Most people would consider it to be a small apartment, but it is perfect for me. It is technically a one-room place, with a very small bathroom that is somewhat closet-like. I have a new bed with one of the harder Korean-style mattresses that my body is still getting used to and even have a new microwave. Also included was one table and chair, a rice cooker, wardrobe, and small side table and bookshelf. Out on my balcony/outdoor porch area of my apartment is where I can do my laundry, hang my clothes, and store things. When you are used to sharing a small dorm room with a second person, having an apartment this small feels spacious. Especially since it is about the size of 2 dorm rooms, but I have it to myself and it is complete with a small kitchen as well. Actually, I feel like I have quite a bit of empty space. I look forward to decorating and making the place feel more like home as time passes. As I make friends, or as my current friends have free time, I also look forward to inviting people over to socialize and have dinner.

Kitchen

My dinner

Main Room

How to decipher this?!?

Bathroom with Sink Shower

The few downsides to the apartment so far are mainly trivial things that will pass soon. Things such as the fact that I haven’t the slightest clue how to manage my thermostat properly, and that I currently do not have Wi-Fi since I don’t have my ARC yet…these issues will pass. I think my main battle will be my shower and the task of showering without soaking my clothing, toilet paper, or trash that is in the bathroom. I love the Korean-style bathrooms and think having the entire bathroom be the shower is unique and inventive, however it makes keeping things that need to be dry extremely difficult.

Trash Area...so much separating to do

On the plus side, there is a convenience store near my apartment and the bus stop is right across the street. I haven’t learned much about the buses here yet, but I know that one of the buses that stops at my apartment should take me directly downtown. Another miracle was that I learned was that being healthy pays off. Instead of taking the elevator from my floor (7^th) to the main floor to leave I decided to take the stairs. It was then that I learned there is WiFi I can connect to somehow on the 5-6^th floor platform. So, if I want to stand awkwardly in the stairwell, I have the ability to contact people. The halls are regrettably not heated though, so communication comes with the price of freezing my butt off at the moment. A plus to this though, is that when I return to my apartment I have nice toasty warm floors for my cold toes.

The trash is also collected right outside my apartment, so I need to learn and practice the new tasks of separating all my trash. Korea is very particular about trash collection, unlike the USA. I need to make sure that I separate between my recyclables (paper/plastics/cans – also separated individually), any food waste, and my general trash (which has special bags).

There are many stray cats around my apartment too. Poor things… They are so cute. It is going to be very difficult for me to avoid feeding them and attempting to show them love. Having strays around is even a learning experience for me. It was the moment I learned that going… “Here kitty kitty kitty…” means absolutely nothing to a stray Korean cat…they are not used to hearing English…ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. I must learn how Koreans talk to their animals. What do they say? Maybe…고양이~          고양이~ 고양이~  ???? Maybe this is it… ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

I was able to successfully buy essentials for my apartment, so I have bedding and kitchen supplies now. It is a good thing that Koreans know how to make some up-scale ramyeon, because it is most likely all I will be able to afford to eat for a little while, that and rice.

DropTop Cafe - WiFi Area!

I know very little about Naju so far except that it is known for its pears and is apparently pretty famous if you follow the Catholic/Christian faith due to a certain church located around here. I hope that when the pears are in season that I can help that locals pick them! Maybe I can even pick my own if I learn how to speak enough Korean to ask. There are some trees right outside my apartment that I think are pear trees, so with any luck I won’t have to go far. I found time to walk around my town and man did I walk far…but I managed to stumble upon the KTX station and they had tourist map pamphlets that I could take. It was my score of the day. Now if only I can decipher the Korean at least a little I can figure out places of interest nearby. This post has basically been my ramblings about some pretty basic Korean living situations, not too exciting, but I wanted to get some basic info about my new home out there.

Meanwhile in Naju...pretty!

On a plus note, I wandered around to find a place I can connect to WiFi so that I could post these blog updates and I have to say that I LOVE Iptime WiFi. I don't know why it is everywhere, or why it is free to connect to, but literally I am outside in a park posting these blogs with my computer. Like seriously this is where I am:

Beautiful Park...with WiFi..??

Well, sorta where I am. Currently I am sitting on some wooden steps, which is probably really odd for locals to see lol. Whatever though right? It is a beautiful day, a bit chilly but nothing for me since I am from somewhere much colder. I can sit in a park, post my blogs, and have elderly Korean women worry about me, try to talk to me in Korean (which I cannot understand haha) and occasionally stare and sometimes smile at me...ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.

Gwangju Metropolitan City - 광주시

The city of Gwangju, located within the Jeollanamdo province, but not technically part of the province itself, is the sixth largest city in South Korea. I have a feeling that this city will be the closest 'big city' near to wherever my new home may be and therefore I suspect I will be frequenting here often. I feel like from what I have seen so far Gwangju looks mostly the same to any other Korean city I have visited, but I am sure like other places it has its own unique treasures yet to be discovered. It is a big city after all. Since I have only wandered around one main area of the city, this post is likely to be lots of food and shopping spam.

My first note about Korean cities, and this goes for all of them, is that there are claw machines literally EVERYWHERE. If you don't watch yourself it will be the end of your paycheck right there. They are dangerous I am telling you. Dangerously addictive. They are filled with irresistibly cute stuffed characters and are very misleading. I have seen so many Korean people stand there and go through 5, 10, 15, and even 20 dollars in no time at all trying to win a stuffed animal from these machines. After about three tries I usually give up, since I am cheap. However, when there are rooms filled with rows of claw machines literally around every street corner they become difficult to avoid. Even if you are not in a room filled with them, they often are lining the streets outside shops as well. Then you have the arcades on top of all of that, which are traps. They have all the claw machines, flashy and shiny lights, singing rooms, photo booths and games to play. They suck you in so easily. At the arcades, they also reset the games often, so if you are working at a machine and after three tries you are really close to getting it don't be surprised if an employee suddenly shows up and moves the animal back to its original position either....

Plus, if you are a sore loser, when you see Koreans walking down the street with those prizes in there hand (which happens more often than you'd imagine) you begin to seethe with jealously and it may begin to hurt your pride. It is a dangerous cycle, because with your pride hurt combined with the knowledge that winning must in fact be possible you will find yourself returning to these places more that you probably should be. That is until that miraculous day that you somehow manage to get one...if that day comes. But I do not think that getting one would break the cycle, at that point you are already addicted and if you won one you may think, 'I've got this now, next time should be easier..."

Beware the claw machines! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

On a somewhat different note, if you are a foreigner and you find yourself in one of these arcades prepare to be stared at, it will happen. And, if you are like me, prepare for the possible stalker. The last arcade my friend and I visited, after about 5 minutes we realized we had a shadow. At first I thought he was watching other people play like we were, but when he was always standing next to the machine we were using we started to grow uncomfortable. Every several minutes he would walk away, but he would be back by the time we moved to a new machine. It was like he didn't realize how obvious he was while following us. We took our opportunity, and the next time that he went to walk away for a brief moment we bolted. We were out the doors, around the corner, up the escalator, out the door, and onto the street before he had the chance to even realize we were missing. I didn't exactly feel threatened by the guy, but he had a definite creep factor to him. He probably was just curious since we were foreign, but there are better ways to interact if you are curious...even if that just means watching us from a distance.

On another note, street food!!! Yeah! I finally found myself some of that egg bread! I had seen it in Seoul but never had the chance to try it. It is literally what it sounds like, a cooked egg inside of a tiny bread loaf that is sweet and tastes similar to a pancake. It was moist and pretty tasty. Good breakfast food I would say and pretty reasonable in price, only 1,500 Won. My friend and I also found this awesome looking potato snack that was delicious too. Fried and rolled in either salt, cheese, or spicy cheese. It was yummy.

My yummy dinner with all those side dishes!

Potato snack!

Lastly, I would like to provide some more food photos, some of which I have eaten and others which I have not tasted yet, only saw on the street.

Cold noodles! Tasted like cucumber :)

Some unidentifiable insect
 I have yet the courage to try.

Various Foods on Sticks!

Korean Burger King!
Steak and Shrimp Burger :)

This was in the Korean Burger King, and obviously is a sign warning not to trip and fall down the stairs...but it is one of the funniest depictions I have yet to see in my life warning against this. I should print this sign and somehow learn how to write in Korean beneath it, "Warning, I have a tendency to trip and fall over. Caution."  ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Shopping!!! Yeah facial products! So I went to the Face Shop and decided to give another random face wash a try. I am becoming a Korean face wash addict. I have bought so many to try that I have enough for like 6 months already. The best part, and this is how stores hook you, is the free samples! For example this photo is everything that I came home with from the store. However the only things that I actually purchased were the bottles of Jeju Volcanic Lava face wash and the pore mask. The face masks, lotion, and body wash packets all were free samples and I cannot wait to give them a try.


For more on Gwangju click here

Jeonju Hanok Village - 전주한옥마을

The Jeonju Hanok Village is located in the city of Jeonju, in Jeonbuk Province. What makes this village unique is that it is home to more than 700 traditional style Hanok houses, while the modern city has closed in around it. While you may think that since it is a traditional village you will feel like you've went back in time, I am not sure this is the case. Yes, the housing is traditional in style, complete with ondol style heating in the floors, the upturned/tiled rooftops, and its architectural style, but everything else about the village is very modern.

During my visit the village was filled to the brim with locals and foreigners alike; there were shops in every possible space available and everything from food, gifts, and traditional items were being sold. The village was especially popular for those who wished to rent and wear hanbok (traditional clothing) for a period of time. Everywhere you looked you could see young, old, couples, and entire families in traditional dress of the utmost beauty. Overall the village was teeming with people and energy, vendors, street food, and trinkets. Another noticeable thing on the streets were the hair clips that are currently in fashion, which are very simple, but different.

Basically they consist of a simple clip with some random plant, insect, or object glued to it, usually that sticks up high in the air. The most common hair clip of the day was a heart attached to a spring. The heart would therefore bob and sway around in the air above your head. Many many people were wearing these clips, children, couples, and even the elderly, so naturally they became popular with the tourists that were there as well.

There are also several foods that this area is known for. Bibimbap (비빔밥), which literally means mixed rice, is a common Korean food that is popular here and that is quite simple to make. At the village there is a building made specifically for cultural experiences in cooking, where you can prepare your own bibimbap. Here I was able to learn how to cook and prepare my own bibimbap meal. It is a simple dish that consists of rice, egg, pepper paste, and typically 8 different vegetables of various colors, all of which have symbolic meaning.

Ultimately however, the vegetables used is up to the makers preference and taste. This dish is unique in that not only the commoners, but also royalty would traditionally eat it. Simply put, preparing the dish mostly consists of frying the vegetables you use individually in salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, or a mixture of these and arranging them in the bowl. 

There also are choco-pies sold in Jeonju that you cannot buy anywhere else in Korea. These are the bomb. The one I tried was a chocolate cake with something similar to marshmallow creme and jelly on the inside, while the cake itself was coated in hard chocolate. Eating these could spoil cheaper choco-pies for you, as you will prefer them to those you find in convenience stores. Lastly, there were some really neat cotton candy vendors here as well. They took cotton candy to the next level, making characters and animals out of the treat. There were huge also, which made for some very happy children, and a very happy me. :)   The cotton candy was so large that my entire head disappeared behind it.  Check it out!

The surrounding area is enchanting as well, with mountains surrounding the entire area in the distance. There are many areas to hike in these mountains that are great for getting some fresh air outside of the city. Exploring some mountains is on my to-do list for the future.

Address: 29, Eojin-jil, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do
전라북도 전주시 완산구 어진길 29 일대  

For more information click here.