Friday the weather was fantastic again and we also had a birthday part at school! I was really looking forward to the party, but it turned out to be super lame. Apparently it's really stressful for the teachers because the moms come in and we have to make sure the class is clean, the kids are behaved, basically that everything is perfect. I didn't really care, but the moms don't usually talk to me, so I'm not the one that gets fussed at. Anyway, the kids mom brought in a cake and food for everyone. All the students have to bring a present for the birthday girl/boy and he/she stands at the front of the room and each kid comes up with their present, says "happy birthday!" and gives him/her a hug (that's a requirement). It was reallllly awkward. The poor birthday girl was sweating, she was so nervous to be in front of everyone! Then everyone sings happy birthday and we all ate in silence. It was sooo weird. The mom didn't even really talk to her child! Or me, even. She might not speak English, I don't know but she didn't even say hello! There are no games or anything...it's so bizarre. I finally put on some music because it was getting uncomfortable. I don't really remember what birthdays were like in elementary school (I never got one...stupid summer birthday), but I think it usually just involved cupcakes at the end of the day. We had cake, watermelon, chicken nuggets, grapes and cherries (in one container), cookies and juice. This was like, an hour after lunch. Korean birthday parties weird me out. Whatever...it was a nice little break from school work at least.
After school I headed to Seoul to hang out with my friend and her coworkers and we just hung out down by the river for a while. It got a little chilly at night, but it was a really nice day. It was fantastic because we were just chilling next to a free standing 7 eleven (I've never seen a free standing one!) so we could just wander in and get whatever we fancied. I had some ice cream and most people were drinking beer. Then we had fried chicken (Koreans LOVE fried chicken) delivered right to our table! Pretty awesome. We also saw a literal giant....he is a Korean boxer and he is like, 7 feet tall. His hand was the size of my torso. I reallllly wanted a picture because I'm pretty sure I would have come up to his waist, but I didn't want to ask. Lame!
Saturday my friend and I went on a tour of the DMZ (the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea) and it was really really interesting. It just sucked a little bit because it was cold and rainy the entire day, but it was still fun and a little on the crazy side. I am not going to get into all the history of the area and conflict between the two countries, but the whole thing is just nuts. And very sad, really. I mean, the country was basically just divided for no real reason, families were torn apart and now there is this really tense conflict between the two countries. Some people have no idea what happened to their family on the other side because they are not allowed to communicate. It's totally insane.
When you go on the tour, I found out you don't actually go into the demilitarized zone (I was kind of glad..seems a little scary), you are right outside where the DMZ technically starts. It's about a 2 miles wide and there is a fence in the middle where the North and South is divided, at the 38th parallel. We went to about 5 different spots where you get out and do different things. The first stop was a peace park sort of area. It has a wrecked train from the Korean War, a memorial garden, a peace bell you can pay to ring and a fence where a lot of Koreans put messages for people in the North. It's really interesting and moving but at the same time it's a little bizarre because it's really touristy. There was an amusement park and a Popeye's chicken! And you can buy DMZ t-shirts!
The next place is still touristy but it was more like a national park with an information center, rather than stuff you can buy...or rides. At this stop you could go into one of the tunnels the North dug in the 70s. The tunnel itself, like the whole thing, is just crazy. I know I sound like an idiot, but I really can't think of any other way to describe them! I think it's just a hard concept for me to grasp too. You hear about people digging tunnels in like, the Vietnam War, but this is current. I mean, this is the present reality of this country! The Northern army wanted to invade Seoul and they dug a tunnel through the earth to try and do it. The tunnels are really narrow and small. Most people had to duck, but I fit through pretty nicely, haha. The one advantage to being short, I guess. They are also pretty far underground so you have to walk down this really steep incline, which was not fun to come back up! The tunnels have "coal" painted on the walls so the North could claim they were just coal mines, and not part of an attack plan. Good try, North. This stop also had a video and a museum. Again, the whole thing was really, really interesting.
Next, we went to the last stop on the train before you get to the North. There, you can buy a "ticket" to NK and get it stamped. You can also take some pictures with the guards there. A few years ago, they were a lot closer to reconciliation and the station was built in hopes they would be able to continue into the North. According to our guide, the election of George W. Bush ruined all that, so the train stops there. Hopefully things will get back on track (literally) because if the train is able to go through the North, it would be possible to take a train from Korea all the way to Europe. That would be a pretty cool trip. Long as all hell, but cool.
Then, we went to a viewing area where you can use binoculars to look over into the North. There are two towns in the actual DMZ, one in the North and one in the South. The one in the North is rumored to be fake. Apparently if you look close, you can tell there is no glass in any of the windows
After that was lunch, which was also quite an experience, since we were in a tiny little town that I think rarely gets foreigners. The waitress person didn't really know what to do with us and kept yelling at one guy that was with us because he was being rude by sitting and eating the wrong way. It was so weird...she kept trying to turn him the right way. I thought it was strange she was doing that, but the guy was being such an ass about the whole thing. It was just uncomfortable and awkward. But, on the plus side, the food was really really good!
Next was another tunnel. This one was not as difficult to get in and out of, and it had a TV at the end of it, which I thought was pretty hilarious. I thought the tunnels were so cool. I wonder if Northerners ever still try to use them to get to the South. This place just had a small little store and you could buy Northern money and alcohol. My friend bought Kim Jung Il cognac, which I thought was totally hilarious. Our guide also got some and gave everyone on the bus a shot. It was supposed to be blueberry flavored, but it just tasted like whiskey. Warmed us up a little, at least!
Another place was where you could really see into North Korea, and see a few guard posts and roads. This place also had a museum that focused more on the lives of North Koreans, which is what really interests me. Obviously no one really knows what goes on there, but it's well known that food is hard to come by and they are no where near as advanced as the South. I also really wonder about the mindset of these people. They are fed propaganda from day one, and what little they do have is given to them by the government so I wonder if they truly support the regime or if they are faking it because they have to.
Last we stopped at a famous battle sight that also has a mini museum and a memorial statue and peace garden type of thing. There is a guard stationed there that can speak English so he gives a tour of the area. However, at this point, it was pouring down rain so the tour kind of sucked. It was really cold and hard to hear, so we got an abbreviated version. The soldier was cracking me up though, because I don't think he can really "speak" English, I think he just has his speech memorized for tourists. The phrasing of some things he said was hilarious and when someone asked him a question he was just like, ummm, no sorry I don't understand. Poor guy, though he tried to give a tour but it wasn't working out. We also got a brochure telling us about the battle there (White Horse Hill) and the English in that is atrocious. It's hysterical. An exert:
"Next day ROKA recaptured after 8 times hot fight on Oct 10. It's considerably ferocious."
Another:
"As using cooling system, pouring water on hottest canon, it is possible to support firing of our force. So quelling was completed."
I'm not hating, because I wouldn't even know how to start translating English into Korean...but it is pretty entertaining.
So that was the tour. Like I said, really interesting and informative. The secrecy that surround the North just fascinates me. Again, it's a little on the scary side, being so close to it. But, according to our guide, being at these touristy places near the DMZ is one of the safer places to be because there are lots of Chinese tourists and the North would never harm the Chinese since they are really their only ally. He also thinks an attack on the South is pretty unlikely since there is a lot of business between the two countries and if they attacked, it would pretty much be a suicide mission since they don't really have the back up support for it. I obviously have no idea, but that seems a little reassuring, at least.
I would love to do the tour again, when it's not raining because that made some parts of it pretty miserable. Also, we didn't have a very good view into the "fake" town and I really wanted to see that. Another time, maybe. Now it's time for dinner and a movie.
Dream big people!
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