Move over Disneyland, here comes Daegu!

The Daegu Safety Theme Park – not quite every child’s dream but something I have seen advertised around the city and am similarly perplexed and amused by. 

After seeing the theme park at Palgongsan on Saturday and being reminded of just how puzzled I was by the advertising, I decided to do some research on it. After all, what self-respecting child would want to visit a safety theme park over a regular theme park? What could it possibly have to offer? Well, after some investigation, I discovered it has a lot to offer, perhaps less so for the thrill seeker and considerably more for the more boring/anal retentive/paranoid. Still, as I delved deeper I discovered that there was indeed logic behind erecting such a white elepant…

The DSTP website’s opening gambit is simple and to the point - "accidents take place unexpectedly in our daily life. When we meet these situations, we may not know what to do. Daegu Safety Theme Park was opened to the public last December, and it was designed to inform you of how to react in emergency situations”. Quite how they came up with the name ‘theme park’ is a mystery, but I guess it’s a logical attempt at selling an otherwise tedious concept.

So what can we see and do at this Theme Park? You’d be surprised – visitors can experience the unbridled exhilaration of a range of attractions including:

• an unparalleled 'historic transition disaster study space'
• Three glorious floors dedicated to subway safety
• a 250 degree three-sided theatre dedicated to educating you on the dangers of mountain and forest fires
• play area - no boring monkey bars and slides here kids. Ambulances and fire engines (sounds like my kind of playground!)
• Find risky factors in our daily lives! 'A space to learn reaction against various risks at home by rotary pannel'.

My personal favourite on the DSTP website was the tab entitled 'every citizen is a disaster'. If they're referring to driving habits they're spot on.

But in all seriousness, I can understand the sentiments of having such a place to educate people. A large part of the focus at the park is on mountain safety as Koreans love hiking but can be somewhat impractical at times. In addition to the park, there is also an outdoor survival education centre nearby which is a pretty smart idea. The numbers of hikers in this country are huge – it is a national pastime and I can fully appreciate the dangers inherent in such a sport, particularly in a country such as Korea where the weather can be very extreme.  A large portion of the park is also dedicated to subway safety. This also sounds tediously boring, but much like the wilderness survival has a very real aspect.

On February 18, 2003 a fire at Jungnano station (central Daegu) took the lives of 192 people and injured 148. A former taxi driver set fire to a subway carriage at Jungnano station using four litres of gasoline and a match. He had recently suffered a stroke and had been left partially paralyzed and extremely disgruntled at his medical treatment. His wish was to commit suicide but he told police that he did not want to die alone and wanted to do so in a crowded place.

Other passengers on the train quickly became aware that the man was attempting to start a fire but were tragically unable to prevent him from doing so. The trains at that point were very new, with the interiors made of highly flammable components such as fiberglass, carbonated vinyl and polyethylene. As a result, within two minutes of the fire starting, flames had engulfed all six carriages of the train.

Tragically, so many people died because of a litany of errors by subway station staff. Upon seeing the smoke, officials radioed the driver of a train entering the station from the opposite direction to tell him to “proceed with caution” (rather than not enter at all). He pulled up alongside the burning train and opened the doors, filling the train with toxic smoke. Almost immediately after, he closed the doors and a fire detector inside the station was triggered, shutting off power to both trains and trapping them in the station.

The following is from a horrifying article on the disaster: “Transcripts show Choi Sang-yeol made three announcements advising passengers in train 1080 to remain seated while he attempted to reach superiors. Finally, he was advised "Quickly, run somewhere else. Go up... kill the engine and go." Choi then opened the doors and fled, but in doing so he removed the master key, shutting down the onboard batteries which powered the train doors — effectively sealing passengers inside. Later investigation showed 79 passengers remained trapped inside train 1080 and died there.”

At that point, subway trains were not equipped with any fire extinguishers, stations had no sprinklers and lacked emergency lighting. An attempt was made to cover up liability in this disaster, but both the arsonist and the driver survived and were later found and sentenced to life and five years in prison respectively for their parts in the tragedy. The incident provoked debate as to whether Korea’s rapid industrialization had resulted in cutting of corners and consequently compromised passenger safety – attempts were made to improve fire standards across the country but action has been very slow due to budget constraints.

The reality of a tragedy like this is almost too much to comprehend. I travel on the subway regularly to this station and had no idea of the horrors it was home to in the past. In a way I can understand the Korean government’s sentiment in building a safety theme park, but building is one thing – having people attend and understand is another. Even more importantly, what’s the sense in having this sort of thing when those who are building and running our state facilities have no idea what to do in an emergency? A sobering thought indeed, and we can only hope that Korea has learned from this tragedy.

Hardly a child magnet...

The Daegu Safety Theme Park as viewed from the outside.

A temple and an insight into Korean parental attitudes. Wow.

Last weekend I visited Palgongsan, one of Daegu’s largest mountains. Situated around 22km north east of the city, It is also home to the famous Donghwasa temple and a myriad of ancient monuments and treasures.

Palgongsan is traditionally hiked by Koreans, however we took the easy route and opted to hike via cable car. The day was absolutely stunning, with not a cloud in the sky. It isn’t until you get out of the urban jungle that you realize just how noisy city life is. As we disembarked the bus, the pace of life seemed to instantly slow to a crawl, and the quiet descended (save for a bus or two struggling up the hill behind us).

We took the cable car up the mountain to admire the stunning views across the city, and after returning we walked across to the Donghwasa temple. Built in 493 (and reconstructed a further eight times), it houses a huge amount of history and important Korean artifacts. The name Donghwasa translates to ‘temple of winter flowers’ and has been designated by the Korean government as the 9th head temple of the Jogyejong Korean Buddhist Order. It was absolutely stunning!

We also visited one of the world’s largest Buddha statues in the grounds of temple. Erected in 1992, it is said to be symbolic of Korea’s wish for reunification. Irrespective of symbolism (other than religion of course) it was a magnificent sight – we couldn’t have picked a more perfect day to visit. There were very few tourists around and it all felt incredibly peaceful and serene.

A Korean friend tells me that during the national university entrance exams (a single eight-hour test for high school students), many Korean parents visit Donghwasa to pray for the success of their children in these exams. Not once, not twice, but once a day for the one hundred days prior to the exam. Incredible! Given that Donghwasa is a good hour from central Daegu on the bus, the determination of these parents impressed me no end. I then learned that these are the ‘lazy’ parents - the more hard-core parents actually hike to Dongbong peak, approximately three and a half hours each way) to pray to another Buddha statue. And yes, they do this every day for one hundred days.

It is a known fact that education in Korea is taken extremely seriously, but I didn’t quite realize to what extent. I hear stories of children and teenagers committing suicide after failing an exam and have often wondered exactly how kids can place such great import on academia. Clearly parental pressure is far greater than I ever imagined it to be. To encourage your child to succeed is one thing, but to reach the extent that a parent would hike for seven hours a day for one hundred days to ‘ensure’ their child passed an examination would create an inordinate amount of pressure on anybody, irrespective of age.

It is said in Korea that ‘ten more minutes of studying will change the face of your future wife/husband". Clearly, from a very early age, parents (regardless of their economic standing in society) instill in their children the importance of making it into the right universities. I’m told that it is very common for Korean mothers to have lunch ‘clubs’, which provide a platform for bragging and one-upmanship.

Korean society has so many different faces; it is hard to put a label on it. I see so many different aspects (or ‘isms’ as the case may be) reflecting so many different things –materialism, Confucianism, collectivism, utilitarianism (and lets not forget alcoholism, which is also rife!) - the list goes on. As a country it contrasts hugely with what I have grown up with, but it is for that very reason I find it so fascinating. I’ve no doubt that the New Zealand education system could benefit from adopting some of the practices you see here in Korea, and vice versa – but that’s a whole new rant I’ll save for another day!

To sum up, Palgongsan was beautiful. I was sad I didn’t get there in time to see the leaves turn, but it was still absolutely stunning and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as a day trip (cable car or hiking, you decide!). If I’m feeling brave I will head back in the winter to see the beautiful winter flowers – watch this space!

Buddha statue, Donghwasa temple

Some pretty lanterns on the walk to the temple

The view from Donghwasa temple - stunning!

The view from atop the cable car lookout. What a perfect day!

It's getting cold...

Ok – so just a quick update on life in the R.O.K. Nothing too exciting has been happening, but in the absence of a home computer and Skype I’ll endeavor to keep you updated via this blog until I resolve a few technology issues! 

I’m amped
So my cruddy laptop finally blew up a couple of weeks ago. I purchased a new one, and after a week of waiting finally got it. It’s a beauty – 15 inch screen, enough RAM to support my webcam (finally!) and it even has pink sparkly flowers on the lid. Niceuh! I then had to ship it off to a Korean technician to load up English Windows XP (no more Vista – hooray!). The evening I got it back, the hard disk blew out rendering it completely unusable – “no operating system detected”. Excellent timing, as that evening I had planned to watch a DVD on it with a friend – no go! So … it’s now back with the retailer and it’s either going to get surgery or be replaced. Once I get it back, it has to go back to the technician to have Windows reinstalled again – Fun With Technology. I am convinced I am jinxed when it comes to these sorts of things. 2 laptops and a brand new power adaptor – all dead. That, and everything I touch gives me an electric shock, and my hair is ridiculously full of static. I’m all powered up! 

I’m late
OK – I know I promised lots of beautiful pictures and stories about Nami Island. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. I had a small issue on Sunday, involving me and an alarm clock. Joanne and I went out for James’s birthday on Saturday night, and had a couple of drinks. I managed to set my alarm for the correct time, but not the correct day. I awoke at 7am – half an hour after I was meant to get on the bus in Yongsan. Panicking, I called Joanne to see where the bus was and if there was any hope of catching it up. She was also still in bed, having also mucked up her alarm. What a useless pair we were! After a quick phone call to the tour leader we resigned ourselves to the fact that Nami Island was going to have to wait until another day, and went back to bed. Sunday night I went to dinner with Mr Korea and had 보쌈 (bossam), which is steamed pork with a selection of a million different side dishes. It was so good! 

...and I'm cold.

It’s getting pretty cold here now – I’ve purchased two big winter jackets and a heap of sweaters, stockings, socks and scarves. Our school is like a large refrigerator, so no doubt there will be a heater added to the list of acquisitions in the near future! This weekend Drew is coming down from Incheon and we are going to either go up Palgongsan or Apsan (mountains in Daegu). Fortunately both have cable cars for the less hiking-inclined such as myself. It’s going to be pretty cold up there, so I’ll be making full use of my massive winter jacket – I have to buy a hat as well, but the only ones they seem to sell in this country make me look like a teapot so I’m still looking.

More soon!

Korean culture 101: contradiction and curiosity

Korean culture is vastly different to that of any other I have experienced in my travels. I suspect that much of this perspective has come from living and working here (as opposed to just travelling), but even just a few days in this country would be enough to leave you simultaneously awed, amused and perplexed. 

It is hard to put into words the experiences I have had - even a simple trip to downtown Daegu provokes so many thoughts and reactions. I would challenge anyone to complete this trip without thinking at least some of the following:

• "What is he/she thinking?!" (usually in reference to demonstrations of general impracticality, bizarre clothing or a fluorescent dyed dog)
• "Don't these people have any manners?" (in reference to being pushed and shoved both on and off the subway despite it being half empty)
• "You wouldn't see that in my country" (practicality/common sense with regard to general health and safety)
• "That was close" (after nearly getting run over - on the footpath)
• "That's disgusting" (after hearing yet another man emphatically clearing mucous from his throat and spitting it on the pavement in front of you)
• "Have I got something on my face/in my teeth?" (constantly being stared at in streets/stores/subway)

In this post I'm going to attempt to sum up some of Korea's idiosyncrasies - some endearing, others not so much. Enjoy! 

Driving: I've mentioned this before, but the driving here is really a stand-out feature and deserves an honourable mention. I have it on good authority that it takes only two weeks, zero experience and very little effort to obtain a full driving licence - this is abundantly clear from the carnage I see every day on the roads. Move over, Italy and Latvia - you've got nothing on South Korea! Footpaths are not just for people. It is not uncommon to walk along the path only to find a bicyle, motorbike, car or small truck bearing down on you, tooting indignantly. If the light is red, just drive your car up onto the footpath and around the lights - hey presto, wait avoided! Indicators are for decoration, and are not required when executing high speed lane changes. Parking also beggars belief - no matter where you go, you get the feeling you've just missed yet another parking competition for blind people.

After observing such driving it does become clearer however, that our complaints about Asian drivers in New Zealand are not without justification. No matter where they go in the world they exhibit similar driving behaviour - I now understand that their driving skills (or lack thereof) are virtually inherent, and no amount of local driving education (or panelbeating) is going to alter this.

Spitting: This is something I will never, ever adapt to. Despite their paranoia about disease (swine flu!) they do not find it in the least bit unhygenic to spit ... anywhere. Train stations, subways, hallways, you name it. If it doesn't move, spit on it. If it moves, you didn't spit quickly enough! Age and gender are no barrier to spitting either - it's not uncommon to hear someone hoicking up a lung or two onto the pavement and then turning around to find yourself looking at a 70-year old grandmother! 

Holding bags: If you are standing on the bus, it is not uncommon to have a seated stranger take your bags for you. It is considered polite, even though it sometimes seems like you're being robbed ever so politely and willingly. I've had it happen once, and seen it happen to others on many occasions. In most other countries in the world you wouldn't see your bag again, nor would you give it up quite so obligingly! 

Public displays of affection: This is generally something you don't see in Korea, however it is very common amongst same-sex friends. It is not uncommon to see girls holding hands, or boys strolling down the street with their arms around each other. Koreans are very comfortable with their sexuality which at times is refreshing, and other times a litle perturbing! Last night at the gym I witnessed a rather strange sight - a young Korean guy (early 20's) sitting back on a shoulder press while his friend sat straddled across his hips and crotch in order to talk to him. Interesting! 

Making loud noises in public places:  In apparent incongruity to many Korean ways (including loud and disgusting hoiking), Koreans are greatly offended at loud noises in public places - this includes conversation on the subway. I couldn't begin to count the number of times I've been with friends and we've been shushed by locals (usually elderly, but not always!). 

Korean 'love sticks': No, this is not romantic, nor does it refer to some deviant Korean sexual practice. It is in fact the most contradictory term for a stick used to beat children with. I kid you not. Corporal punishment is rife in Korean schools - although technically illegal it is widely practiced and generally accepted (according to surveys around 7 out of 10 schools practice it). Traditionally, Korean children have been viewed as their parent's possessions and are taught to accept punishment as a form of acceptable discipline. Obedience is seen as being essential to maintaining family harmony and taking a beating (whether it be from parents or teachers) is a somewhat abject display of filial piety. This is purely conjecture on my part - I am uneducated on the subject and in no way agree with it or condone it as I believe it is a short-term solution to longer-term problems (and in itself creates further psychological problems). To illustrate this point, earlier this year, a Korean student was flogged over 100 times at school and then went home to commit suicide. There are companies who specialise in making 'love sticks', although these are often replaced with other common household items such as pipes, bats, broom handles, golf clubs and even good old fists.

A lovingly handcrafted Korean 'love stick'

Men with megaphones*:  Quite literally the bane of my existence in this country. We get told off for talking on the subway, yet when armed with a small truck and a megaphone it is perfectly acceptable for anyone to park up in a quiet suburban neighbourhood and shout incessantly into said megaphone. Those who do this are usually hawking some kind of product - watermelons, cassette tapes (yes, they still make them apparently), tangerines - product is no barrier to megaphone advertising. The most infuriating part of the whole exercise is that I can't understand a word they say and generally there are around three sentences repeated. Over. And over. And over again. Usually for long enough to rouse you from blissful slumber early on the weekend, or as I discovered today, at 7am on a Wednesday morning. I tend to keep my windows shut to try and block out at least some of the noise (and the accompanying familiar, full-bodied diesel exhaust bouquet). 

*  This Korean 'phenomenon' was summed up beautifully by Luke Martin (author of ROKetship) - make sure you check it out! 

Removing your shoes: Shoes are not worn indoors in this country - period. At first I found this a little strange, but I have come to accept it, understand it and appreciate it! I first wondered about the logic - after all, we wear our shoes inside at home in New Zealand and it's perfectly ok, right? After wandering pavements covered in mucous, you soon realise that this is an eminently practical idea. When you look at the bottoms of your shoes and think about what you have stepped in that day, it makes absolute perfect sense - I'm going to find it difficult to return to the Western practice of leaving them on when I get home! It scares me to think of all the disgusting filth in our carpets. 

Shopping: Although the selection and stores here are great, I have discovered that browsing in a store is not so much individual pursuit as a team sport. You cannot set foot inside a Korean shop without being greeted and followed around the store by a minimum of one shop assistant. Constantly. When I say followed, I don't mean at a distance. I mean shadowed, stared at, full-blown personal space invasion. In your face. Koreans do not find this unusual in the slightest, and I suspect it is their interpretation of excellent customer service. Unfortuantely it is not mine, and serves only to frustrate me. I often find myself leaving stores because of it - I really have to be in the right mood to shop in this country! It happens less frequently when you shop with a friend, but still occurs. Jeannine and I went into a shoe shop on this premise and were shadowed by a male store clerk who also serenaded us with a Beyonce song ... you don't get that every day! He then proceeded to try and rip Jeannine off to the tune of 40,000 won for a pair of shoes, which he quickly reduced to 10,000 when we began leaving the store. I'd have happily paid him that to stop his atrocious singing!

Ajuma: The quintessential little old Korean ladies. Ajuma are a law unto themselves. Usually elderly, they have black, permed hair, tattooed eyebrows, very colourful clothing and the quintessential pièce de résistance - a large visor. High velocity, low centre-of-gravity, they're feisty and often funny but by god you don't mess with them. They have no hesitation in exercising their Confucianistic right to respect for age and will happily shove you out of the way to get on the bus first, or give you an elbow in the kidneys in order to get that last little free sample at the E-Mart food hall. They don't take any crap from anybody!

To my horror, my Korean teacher also tells me that the term 'ajuma' actually refers to an unmarried woman over the age of 30 - the downhill slide has well and truly begun! Maybe I should invest in a visor...

Free stuff: Just about everything you purchase in this country comes with free stuff. Buying skin care products? Get a free set of tupperware containers and a million different free samples. Buying makeup? Free crockery. Groceries? Free paper towels. Yesterday on my box of cereal I got a free packet of highlighters - go figure. It's definitely not a complaint though, I have received some great free stuff! If I break out some Korean at the local store I get free lifesavers. If you smile at old people, they smile back and sometimes give you fruit (?!). Men give me chewing gum. Little kids give me acorns. Either they're all-round generous or I'm missing some important symbolism! (halitosis? scurvy?).

And that sums up my take on Korean Culture 101. More soon!

Swine flu mania and Halloween

I'm now two and a bit days into a week of no classes .... yes, that's right - swine flu paranoia finally got the better of Seonwon Elementary School and the children have been evicted for a week. Bless. By some stroke of good fortune (hah!) the teachers are required to remain at school for reasons known only to the multitudes of Korean education system bureaucrats. Still, I can't complain too much - I'm student free, have plenty of free time for reading and studying Korean, and relaxing to the soothing, melodic sounds of an electric saw (compliments of the construction crew building our new gymnasium) a mere twenty feet from the door of my office. Said office is also semi-refrigerated, so much of my day is spent boiling the kettle to make tea and re-fill my hot water bottle.


Life in Korea is really enjoyable - unfortunately the weather has started to turn very cold which has necessitated many shopping trips for scarves, gloves, hats and coats. Any exucse to shop really! Since the cessation of my regular trips to Busan I have really been enjoying life in Korea a lot more. I have met so many wonderful people here in Daegu, both English and Korean. I'm getting out and about and trying to see as many other parts of this city as possible and am discovering new, weird and wonderful things around every corner. TIK!


In a couple of weeks I am heading to Nami Island in Gangwon province, which looks beautiful. The information flyer I have states "Nami Island - where men can leave their luggage from everyday life behind and share with nature". I can only hope that women are allowed to do the same. We will be renting bikes and cycling around the island, and also riding a 3-metre 'sky bicycle', the sound of which quite frankly makes me nervous. It looks beautiful though, and will be one of the last chances I get to see the leaves turn before the cold winter finally settles in. We're also going to see Le Petit France, which sounds like a rather bizarre abberation on the Korean landscape but interesting nonetheless. It's the Korean interpretation and 'local experience' of French culture (who needs Paris?!) set to the concept of La Petit Prince. In true Korean style, tourist publicity curiously states that it is "highly popular to family-sized tourists". Given the relative size of Korean people, I can only assume they have a lot of British and Americans visiting. After all, when in Korea, France is high on everybody's list of things to do - is it not?


On the subject of Korean experiences, I have been meeting a few local Korean people . It's great being able to see the city with someone who speaks the language and offers an entirely different experience to the usual Western perspective (and accompanying mangling of the language). Koreans are genuinely friendly people and are never too shy to say hello or help you out if needed. I got chatting to a Korean guy on the bus the other night who has just opened a bar in the central city. He seemed really nice, and has given me some VIP tickets and free drinks when I visit - score!


I also had another date with Mr Korea who seems really sweet. We met on Friday night in downtown - I had just come from dinner with friends down at Keimyung University, and he had eaten also. So .... we went to a restaurant where he proceeded to order a heap of food and some soju. We chatted, grazed and drank for a couple of hours before he whisked me off to a very fancy cocktail bar and then on to a club - all at his expense. We didn't finish up til around 5am, and it was a great night and well worth the sleep deprivation. He neglected to tell me that he was on the 6am KTX to Busan for work so he didn't actually go to bed that night - I don't know how he managed it! I struggled to make Halloween the following evening despite a good six or seven hours sleep. I'm not so sure that date number three is as significant as many people have led me to believe (Korean dating protocols apparently state it means a serious relationship) so I've relaxed on that front a little. He did mention on Friday night however that as the first-born son his parents are pressuring him to marry and have children - definitely one to be wary of! In saying that, he didn't sound too enamoured with that prospect so I didn't flee the restaurant. I definitely think that Western girls have it easier than guys when it comes to dating Koreans. By all accounts the girls are very high maintenance and are expected to pay for everything. So far I've expected nothing and received everything - he won't let me pay for anything. Hooray for my Korean predecessors!


This weekend I'm off to Busan to see Fatima and hit up Centum City (worlds largest department store) for some serious winter clothes shopping. Friday night we're going out to dinner and relaxing, and Saturday night we're going to dinner with Mr Korea and his friend and then out to a club afterwards - I'm really looking forward to it!

Halloween at Skyy Bar, Daegu

Pizza in a cup ... a 4a.m. Daegu delicacy!

Partying it up at GoGo Party for Lia's 'tight and bright' 80's birthday party