While hiking in Seorak Park last year I saw two snakes. I chased them off the trail with a stick before any other hikers came by as I expected other would kill the snakes. I wrote about my hike here. Anyway, in that post, I wondered if the snakes were poisonous.
Well, I don't have to wonder any more. No, I'm not dying, nor have I been bitten. 'Always in Transit' found a useful thread on Dave's eslcafe that discusses the subject. A gentleman (or gentlewoman) named 'Rapier' is intent on cataloging the wildlife of Korea and has posted photos and descriptions of Korean mammals, amphibians and reptiles.
I think the snake I saw was poisonous. It looks like the first one on the list.
This kind of wildlife census is important and I think it has not been properly done here, even in Korean. Koreans don't seem aware of much of their penninsula's natural history.
I have to admit noticing the same problems with snakes in my small town in Canada as I see here. Many of my friends have claimed to see cottonmouth snakes and copperhead snakes in Muskoka (a district in Ontario, Canada). It sure was hard to convince them that no such snake has even been caught in Ontario and they would have to go to Florida or possibly the Carolinas before finding those snakes.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Coming soon: Baby blogging
I don't plan to make this a 'Daily Picture of my Baby' blog but I will definitely be posting when our baby comes into the world (no photos of That!).
If I have time, after calling my Mom and sister with breaking news, I hope to use audioblogger to make some announcement on this site.
So, when you see a symbol like this, you will know we have left for the hospital or I am a proud father or,well, I don't know; something momenteous.
Incidentally, the link above is of me playing the danso after setting it down for several months and it shows. I may later post other music but only after I practice signicantly first.
If I have time, after calling my Mom and sister with breaking news, I hope to use audioblogger to make some announcement on this site.
So, when you see a symbol like this, you will know we have left for the hospital or I am a proud father or,well, I don't know; something momenteous.
Incidentally, the link above is of me playing the danso after setting it down for several months and it shows. I may later post other music but only after I practice signicantly first.
Spring 2005 has been a bad time for the Korean Coast Guard
My wife works for the Korean Coast Guard but I have no inside information to leak. This post is mostly based on activities on the West Coast, while we live on the East Coast.
Three public problems have occured this spring. First, a Sokcho fisherman, apparently drunk, was able to defect, by sea, to North Korea. The Coast Guard fired a few warning shots but was unable to stop him.
Second, a ferry transporting tourists from an island to Incheon (or anyway, a port on the Northern West coast) sank and the Coast Guard was slow in rescueing the victims.
Thirdly, in moving to stop illegal fishing, several coast guard personnel were beaten up by the Chinese fishermen they were trying to arrest. The boats escaped but may have returned and these boats and fishermen were arrested.
impounded ships and charged chinese fishermen
This article describes the two incidences, one that occured on the 24th and the other on the 28th.
May 28, 2005 ㅡ Korean maritime police took into
custody yesterday 35 Chinese fishermen found
operating trawlers in Korean waters in the Yellow
Sea. It may have been at least some of the fishermen's
second violation in a week.
The Incheon branch of the Korea Coast Guard said
it suspected the fishermen were the same ones who
charged at Korean marine police officers with iron
pipes earlier in the week when the police tried
to arrest them.
The fishermen from three fishing boats are
undergoing questioning at Incheon Port, the
Korea Coast Guard said. In confiscating the
fishermen's three boats, the marine police said
they found and seized about 30 weapons, including
iron pipes and hatchets.
The investigators will transfer the case to
prosecutors after they determine if any of the
men were those involved in the earlier fracas.
On Tuesday at around 1:30 a.m. three marine police
officers were injured when they climbed aboard two
Chinese fishing boats caught fishing 48 kilometers
(27 miles) off the west coast.
Twelve marine officers approached the vessels, but
after seizing one boat, they were set upon by 18
fishermen in the other, who charged at them with iron pipes.
I normally have great respect for naval services and I want to again. Here's hoping that they can work in the professional way that the sea requires. And, if the fishermen that attacked the officers are indeed in custody, I hope they have a long sentence coming.
Three public problems have occured this spring. First, a Sokcho fisherman, apparently drunk, was able to defect, by sea, to North Korea. The Coast Guard fired a few warning shots but was unable to stop him.
Second, a ferry transporting tourists from an island to Incheon (or anyway, a port on the Northern West coast) sank and the Coast Guard was slow in rescueing the victims.
Thirdly, in moving to stop illegal fishing, several coast guard personnel were beaten up by the Chinese fishermen they were trying to arrest. The boats escaped but may have returned and these boats and fishermen were arrested.
impounded ships and charged chinese fishermen
This article describes the two incidences, one that occured on the 24th and the other on the 28th.
May 28, 2005 ㅡ Korean maritime police took into
custody yesterday 35 Chinese fishermen found
operating trawlers in Korean waters in the Yellow
Sea. It may have been at least some of the fishermen's
second violation in a week.
The Incheon branch of the Korea Coast Guard said
it suspected the fishermen were the same ones who
charged at Korean marine police officers with iron
pipes earlier in the week when the police tried
to arrest them.
The fishermen from three fishing boats are
undergoing questioning at Incheon Port, the
Korea Coast Guard said. In confiscating the
fishermen's three boats, the marine police said
they found and seized about 30 weapons, including
iron pipes and hatchets.
The investigators will transfer the case to
prosecutors after they determine if any of the
men were those involved in the earlier fracas.
On Tuesday at around 1:30 a.m. three marine police
officers were injured when they climbed aboard two
Chinese fishing boats caught fishing 48 kilometers
(27 miles) off the west coast.
Twelve marine officers approached the vessels, but
after seizing one boat, they were set upon by 18
fishermen in the other, who charged at them with iron pipes.
I normally have great respect for naval services and I want to again. Here's hoping that they can work in the professional way that the sea requires. And, if the fishermen that attacked the officers are indeed in custody, I hope they have a long sentence coming.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Who eats Emmental?
Give me wonderful, wonderful cheddar anytime.
Who eats emmental?The picture doesn't even match the cheese.
Even in Seoul, it's hard to find cheddar even in supermarkets. By the way, I'll never voluntarilary eat process sliced cheddar. Anyway, no cheddar, but emmental everywhere! Who eats this stuff?
I think it's Swiss (judging only from the holes in the cheese -in the picture, anyway) and Switzerland seems an interesting place. I've met the ambassador and enjoyed hearing about how unique Switzerland is. Still, how many Swiss are there in Korea? Does the Big Hominid, an acknowledged Swissophile, buy that much cheese?
I have become accustomed to slicing my cheddar very thinly, using it as sparingly as I could, until I again made a trip to Seoul for more. (I avoided until now, when I have finished the post and am mostly proofreading to point out my self-control in not making a 'who cut the cheese?' type of comment.)
My life is so hard! Pity me.
I hadn't realized how cheese-crazed I had become until my mother visited and I saw her carving huge blocks of cheddar to nibble on. It took great restraint to not yell at her to conserve, for God's sake!
Who eats emmental?
The picture doesn't even match the cheese. Even in Seoul, it's hard to find cheddar even in supermarkets. By the way, I'll never voluntarilary eat process sliced cheddar. Anyway, no cheddar, but emmental everywhere! Who eats this stuff?
I think it's Swiss (judging only from the holes in the cheese -in the picture, anyway) and Switzerland seems an interesting place. I've met the ambassador and enjoyed hearing about how unique Switzerland is. Still, how many Swiss are there in Korea? Does the Big Hominid, an acknowledged Swissophile, buy that much cheese?
I have become accustomed to slicing my cheddar very thinly, using it as sparingly as I could, until I again made a trip to Seoul for more. (I avoided until now, when I have finished the post and am mostly proofreading to point out my self-control in not making a 'who cut the cheese?' type of comment.)
My life is so hard! Pity me.
I hadn't realized how cheese-crazed I had become until my mother visited and I saw her carving huge blocks of cheddar to nibble on. It took great restraint to not yell at her to conserve, for God's sake!
Saturday, May 21, 2005
English quiz game at Kwandong
My university's second annual quiz contest was a success. There were over 200 contestants in the Kwandong University student game and another 200 in the Gangwondo high school game. I think all involved had fun but maybe these students might have prefered a different name. They all made a mistake in one of the first twenty questions and had a chance to get back into the competition.
Doesn't this sound like fun?
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Gangneung tour
I have lived near, and worked in, Gangneung for more than two years. Before today, I had seen really very little; my university, E-mart (they have real cheese, not like Sokcho's E-mart) and the road from the highway to the university.
I didn't expect to see much of it today, neither. I left home early to travel to my bike (in Gangneung) to ride south for a few hours. I packed well for the trip, everything except for the key to my bike lock.
Since I was already in Gangneung and my university's Tourism students were running a tour bus as a project, I decided to take it.
The bus first stopped at O-juk-heon. It's a traditional house and shrine to Eolgog-yi-yi. You can see O-juk-heon on the 5,000 won bill. The museum included this display...
Choseon era Koreans loved their yo-yos!
Below is the picture on the 5,000 won bill.
O-juk-heon and the picture on the 5,000 won bill.
The second stop was a 99-gan traditional house; the largest a house could be that was owned by non-royalty.
The third site was Kyoung-po Beach where I ran into two coworkers. One of them, Tom, and I took our first swim of the year.
First swim of the year for Tom and Brian
I didn't expect to see much of it today, neither. I left home early to travel to my bike (in Gangneung) to ride south for a few hours. I packed well for the trip, everything except for the key to my bike lock.
Since I was already in Gangneung and my university's Tourism students were running a tour bus as a project, I decided to take it.
The bus first stopped at O-juk-heon. It's a traditional house and shrine to Eolgog-yi-yi. You can see O-juk-heon on the 5,000 won bill. The museum included this display...
Choseon era Koreans loved their yo-yos!
Below is the picture on the 5,000 won bill.
O-juk-heon and the picture on the 5,000 won bill.
The second stop was a 99-gan traditional house; the largest a house could be that was owned by non-royalty.
The third site was Kyoung-po Beach where I ran into two coworkers. One of them, Tom, and I took our first swim of the year.
First swim of the year for Tom and Brian
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
breaking my promise
After messing up a few doctored photos, I promised not to try again until I improved a lot more. However, after I read Rory's challenge and followed a link to someone named Peemil, I learned how to download some handier photo software. I have at least learned how to cut out a silhouette freehand; something I couldn't do with my previous software.
Rory found someone climbing into his apartment from his utility door and suggested bloggers watch their apartment's utility doors for visitors. I found one who looks really familiar!
attempting the Roryrunsamok challenge
Rory found someone climbing into his apartment from his utility door and suggested bloggers watch their apartment's utility doors for visitors. I found one who looks really familiar!
attempting the Roryrunsamok challenge
Cycling Gangwon's coast: Sokcho to Gangneung
Today, I had the day off and so began what I hope to be several days of cycling and exploring. My goal this week is to get to the Kyoungsangbuk border. I also hope to off a sort of online travel guide at some point, open up a dedicated blogspot page for cycling information.
Today's trip, however, will offer little for intrepid cyclists. The weather threatened rain all day, and in fact rain was forecast for the afternoon. It didn't arrive until evening but the day was at best cloudy and frequently cool.
Most of the ride, I didn't dally for photos, but just got the distance in. Which is too bad, because Gangneung has a few interesting sights that I rode on by.
Anyway, here are a few photos from today plus a handful from previous trips to points along the way. You will notice that my clothing changes, the season changes and even my bike changes from shot to shot.
I know some good alternate routes for the route from Sokcho to Hajodae and may show them the next time I post a map. Most of my trip today was on Highway 7 and most of my pictures from today are of my misadventures resulting from leaving highway 7. There are a few good places to ride through villages to get off the highway but none are very long. That's too bad because the highway lacks a paved shoulder in quite a few places. I felt safe but only because the road was not particularly busy.
Heading south on highway 7 from Sokcho, I stayed on the highway until I reached Naksansa. From the temple, I was able to hug the coastline for about 10 km.
About 2 km from the temple, I crossed the Namdaechun (a river) and a few km after that, I passed Osanri Prehistoric site. Don't bother hunting for it. There is an english sign but it just says that items were found here and taken away. There's nothing to see.
nothing to see here
Beyond that is a sign for a beach. It's a great beach but the road is a dead end.
deadend
If you are feeling real tough and have something to prove, try playing on the meanest volleyball court. Look at those stones!
badass Volleyball court
Eventually, the backroad reaches the highway. In the interests of helping my readers, I tried to stay on the back roads. Here, I cross some drying nets; they're everywhere along the coast. I saw tracks deforming the nets so I felt secure walkng over them.
walking over nets
Here is the first place I had to walk. The trail was passable by mountain bike but not by road bike.
walking through soft sand
Hajodae is a pleasant scenic site, one of the gwandong (8 special sites), my university is named for.
Hajodae
From Hajodae, I stayed on the highway until Dongsan, where I was able to ride through the village for two or more km to Hyu-hyu-am. The villages were nice, but the road is not suitable for speed; expect a sightseeing trip not a race.
Hyu-hyu-am is a hermitage, or small temple based on strangely shaped rocks on the coast. It's a pretty and quite famous site here.
Hyu-hyu-am
Hyu-hyu-am
I then rode on the highway to the interchange with toll highway 50. I followed a new, multi-lane road to the beach and found about 200m of great road. Then...
walking 2
I walked my bike again and reached a paving stone road that went past the Gangwon office of the Sea Explorers of Korea, a Korean version of Sea Scouts. In the early summer, they have a festival weekend where you can play on their toys and boats
Sea explorers of Korea getting help from the old master (me).
The paving stone road continued to Jumunjin and this...
walking 3
After Jumunjin, I stayed on the highway. I rode through Jumunjin and lost two screws on my bikerack. A kindly welder found some screws for me and I was again off.
There were some good sites between Jumunjin and Gangneung but the day was getting colder and darker. The trip from Sokcho to Kwandong University in Gangneung took three and a half hours and was 70km long.
Today's trip, however, will offer little for intrepid cyclists. The weather threatened rain all day, and in fact rain was forecast for the afternoon. It didn't arrive until evening but the day was at best cloudy and frequently cool.
Most of the ride, I didn't dally for photos, but just got the distance in. Which is too bad, because Gangneung has a few interesting sights that I rode on by.
Anyway, here are a few photos from today plus a handful from previous trips to points along the way. You will notice that my clothing changes, the season changes and even my bike changes from shot to shot.
I know some good alternate routes for the route from Sokcho to Hajodae and may show them the next time I post a map. Most of my trip today was on Highway 7 and most of my pictures from today are of my misadventures resulting from leaving highway 7. There are a few good places to ride through villages to get off the highway but none are very long. That's too bad because the highway lacks a paved shoulder in quite a few places. I felt safe but only because the road was not particularly busy.
Heading south on highway 7 from Sokcho, I stayed on the highway until I reached Naksansa. From the temple, I was able to hug the coastline for about 10 km.
About 2 km from the temple, I crossed the Namdaechun (a river) and a few km after that, I passed Osanri Prehistoric site. Don't bother hunting for it. There is an english sign but it just says that items were found here and taken away. There's nothing to see.
nothing to see here
Beyond that is a sign for a beach. It's a great beach but the road is a dead end.
deadend
If you are feeling real tough and have something to prove, try playing on the meanest volleyball court. Look at those stones!
badass Volleyball court
Eventually, the backroad reaches the highway. In the interests of helping my readers, I tried to stay on the back roads. Here, I cross some drying nets; they're everywhere along the coast. I saw tracks deforming the nets so I felt secure walkng over them.
walking over nets
Here is the first place I had to walk. The trail was passable by mountain bike but not by road bike.
walking through soft sand
Hajodae is a pleasant scenic site, one of the gwandong (8 special sites), my university is named for.
Hajodae
From Hajodae, I stayed on the highway until Dongsan, where I was able to ride through the village for two or more km to Hyu-hyu-am. The villages were nice, but the road is not suitable for speed; expect a sightseeing trip not a race.
Hyu-hyu-am is a hermitage, or small temple based on strangely shaped rocks on the coast. It's a pretty and quite famous site here.
Hyu-hyu-am
Hyu-hyu-am
I then rode on the highway to the interchange with toll highway 50. I followed a new, multi-lane road to the beach and found about 200m of great road. Then...
walking 2
I walked my bike again and reached a paving stone road that went past the Gangwon office of the Sea Explorers of Korea, a Korean version of Sea Scouts. In the early summer, they have a festival weekend where you can play on their toys and boats
Sea explorers of Korea getting help from the old master (me).
The paving stone road continued to Jumunjin and this...
walking 3
After Jumunjin, I stayed on the highway. I rode through Jumunjin and lost two screws on my bikerack. A kindly welder found some screws for me and I was again off.
There were some good sites between Jumunjin and Gangneung but the day was getting colder and darker. The trip from Sokcho to Kwandong University in Gangneung took three and a half hours and was 70km long.
8.8 Billion Won from the Government to rebuild Naksan Temple
From the Times:
The government will spend around 8.8 billion
won ($8.8 million) to restore Naksan-sa Temple,
which was burnt down by last month’s forest
fires in Kangwon Province.
Culture and Tourism Minister Chung Dong-chea
yesterday reported at the weekly Cabinet meeting
that the collapsed temple buildings will be rebuilt
in two or three years.
The ministry allotted 8.7 billion won for the
reconstruction works and 0.1 billion won for the
remolding of the temple’s bronze bell, which was
melted during the blaze. ``The restoration of the
bell will take around six months,’’ the ministry’s
assistant minister Lee Bo-kyong told reporters.
All this is great news for the temple. I am not so thrilled by the suggested policies for fire prevention.
``We plan to allow the temples to deforest areas
within 20 or 30 meters from their compounds to
prevent a forest fire from spreading to
buildings,’’ Lee said.
The ministry also plans to plant trees that are
more fireproof and install or widen roads leading
to the temples to ease access by fire engines.
The wind on April 5 was wild and powerful. The power driving it is well-understood but not by me and I may confuse the details a little.
Basically, there is a wall of mountains just inland of the coast. Seorak is the most famous of these. Wind coming from the west falls down the east side and spreads out a little. At the base of the mountains, the air compacts again and the wind's strength is multiplied. This is, I think, the mechanism of 'hydraulic jump'.
This powerful wind, which I described here, made my apartment sing and wail and pushed me around as I cycled. I reported (same posting) that the fire had jumped great distances that day. A margin of 20-30m may help in the future, but would not have helped Naksan much.
I am all for planting trees that are more fireproof but not interested in deforesting the margins of the temple buildings. Call me a heretic, but I enjoy the forests as much as the temples when I visit them.
Also, I fear that improved roads would simply lead to bigger parking lots closer to the temples and Koreans have trouble driving without leaning on their horns. Call me a heretic but I enjoy the quiet as much as the temples when I visit them.
The government will spend around 8.8 billion
won ($8.8 million) to restore Naksan-sa Temple,
which was burnt down by last month’s forest
fires in Kangwon Province.
Culture and Tourism Minister Chung Dong-chea
yesterday reported at the weekly Cabinet meeting
that the collapsed temple buildings will be rebuilt
in two or three years.
The ministry allotted 8.7 billion won for the
reconstruction works and 0.1 billion won for the
remolding of the temple’s bronze bell, which was
melted during the blaze. ``The restoration of the
bell will take around six months,’’ the ministry’s
assistant minister Lee Bo-kyong told reporters.
All this is great news for the temple. I am not so thrilled by the suggested policies for fire prevention.
``We plan to allow the temples to deforest areas
within 20 or 30 meters from their compounds to
prevent a forest fire from spreading to
buildings,’’ Lee said.
The ministry also plans to plant trees that are
more fireproof and install or widen roads leading
to the temples to ease access by fire engines.
The wind on April 5 was wild and powerful. The power driving it is well-understood but not by me and I may confuse the details a little.
Basically, there is a wall of mountains just inland of the coast. Seorak is the most famous of these. Wind coming from the west falls down the east side and spreads out a little. At the base of the mountains, the air compacts again and the wind's strength is multiplied. This is, I think, the mechanism of 'hydraulic jump'.
This powerful wind, which I described here, made my apartment sing and wail and pushed me around as I cycled. I reported (same posting) that the fire had jumped great distances that day. A margin of 20-30m may help in the future, but would not have helped Naksan much.
I am all for planting trees that are more fireproof but not interested in deforesting the margins of the temple buildings. Call me a heretic, but I enjoy the forests as much as the temples when I visit them.
Also, I fear that improved roads would simply lead to bigger parking lots closer to the temples and Koreans have trouble driving without leaning on their horns. Call me a heretic but I enjoy the quiet as much as the temples when I visit them.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Cycling
NOTE: I found this post in my 'drafts' pile, where it had rested for a few years. I don't know why I didn't post it then.
Today's trip, however, will offer little for intrepid cyclists. The weather threatened rain all day, and in fact rain was forecast for the afternoon. It didn't arrive until evening but the day was at best cloudy and frequently cool.
Most of the ride, I didn't dally for photos, but just got the distance in. Which is too bad, because Gangneung has a few interesting sights that I rode on by.
Anyway, here are a few photos from today plus a handful from previous trips to points along the way. You will notice that my clothing changes, the season changes and even my bike changes from shot to shot.
I know some good alternate routes for the route from Sokcho to Hajodae and may show them the next time I post a map. Most of my trip today was on Highway 7 and most of my pictures from today are of my misadventures resulting from leaving highway 7. There are a few good places to ride through villages to get off the highway but none are very long. That's too bad because the highway lacks a paved shoulder in quite a few places. I felt safe but only because the road was not particularly busy.
Heading south on highway 7 from Sokcho, I stayed on the highway until I reached Naksansa. From the temple, I was able to hug the coastline for about 10 km.
About 2 km from the temple, I crossed the Namdaechun (a river) and a few km after that, I passed Osanri Prehistoric site. Don't bother hunting for it. There is an english sign but it just says that items were found here and taken away. There's nothing to see.
Osanri prehistoric site, nothing to see here. Beyond that is a sign for a beach. It's a great beach but the road is a dead end.
deadend If you are feeling real tough and have something to prove, try playing on the meanest volleyball court. Look at those stones!
bad-ass volleyball court The road runs below the Yangyang airport. Here is a shot from the airport.
Airport view Eventually, the backroad reaches the highway. In the interests of helping my readers, I tried to stay on the back roads. Here, I cross some drying nets; they're everywhere along the coast. I saw tracks deforming the nets so I felt secure walkng over them.
backroad, beginning of trouble Here is the first place I had to walk. The trail was passable by mountain bike but not by road bike.
walking 1 Hajodae is a pleasant scenic site, one of the gwandong (8 special sites), my university is named for.
Hajodae lighthouse From Hajodae, I stayed on the highway until Dongsan, where I was able to ride through the village for two or more km to Hyu-hyu-am. The villages were nice, but the road is not suitable for speed; expect a sightseeing trip not a race.
Hyu-hyu-am is a hermitage, or small temple based on strangely shaped rocks on the coast. It's a pretty and quite famous site here.
Hyu-hyu am 
hyu-hyu am I then rode on the highway to the interchange with toll highway 50. I followed a new, multi-lane road to the beach and found about 200m of great road. Then...
Walking 2 I walked my bike again and reached a paving stone road that went past the Gangwon office of the Sea Explorers of Korea, a Korean version of Sea Scouts. In the early summer, they have a festival weekend where you can play on their toys and boats.
Sea explorers of Korea The paving stone road continued to Jumunjin and this...
walking 3 After Jumunjin, I stayed on the highway. I rode through Jumunjin and lost two screws on my bikerack. A kindly welder found some screws for me and I was again off.
There were some good sites between Jumunjin and Gangneung but the day was getting colder and darker. I will take further pictures on the return trip later this week. The trip from Sokcho to Kwandong University in Gangneung took three and a half hours and was 70km long.
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