Saturday, April 27, 2013

Day Two Adventures

I'm back!! :)


It's seven am here. I don't know why I'm up. haha.

So lets see...yesterday. We went to the DMZ. I asked them if they come here often, they say it's their go-to place for foreigners! HAHA!! :) So we went for emily but let me say this...a LOT HAS CHANGED THERE SINCE I WAS THERE LAST. There are a TON of Army soldiers there now...In fact, you're not even allowed to park up there now. When we went, we literally just pulled up to the front entrance with no problem...but you have to park your car at the very bottom of this hill and take a bus up. Very interesting. I think it is security measures but I don't know how to ask that in Korean. 

So we get to the DMZ and they've added this....memorial thingy at the first level of the DMZ observatory ( http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264489 )  Also called the Odusan Unification Observatory. 통일 (tong-il) is the word for unification.  But this memorial is in dedication of....the FORTY SIX men who died in the boat bombing in April 2010. Remember? The reason why I almost couldn't go to Korea?! Yea. It was kinda depressing. They had a ton of pictures there of the parents crying and stuff. But that is all new, obviously because it had just happened when I went.

Then we went to the third level (the second is for Korean speakers) and watched an english video on the reunification. I asked my host dad about it. They said that most of North Korea wants to be reunited but after what happened with the bombing of the boat, forgiveness will be hard. There was a HUGE picture of a bunch of post-it-notes with comments to North Korea (you know how people sometimes pick an area and have protests there? Same idea). and there was a huge banner that said, "We will never forget." Scary, huh?

So we watched the video and then went outside and looked through the binoculars at North Korea... I find that concept slightly weird. We're totally creeping on North Korea citizens like they're monkeys at the zoo and yet, they probably have no clue what a pair of binoculars even is! haha. I saw a North Korean man walking though! Its weird because it is so DEAD there... 

Anywho, afterwards we went to this park place in Paju and flew kites. I honestly didn't think it'd be that much fun but it was! :) There was about 100 people flying kites (I have pictures too) and we did that for like an hour and a half. Then we walked over and went to this historical part of korea (it was like a two minute walk).


AND DAD, GUESS WHAT?!?! There was a train there! haha. I took a bunch of pictures because I thought you'd like to see it. But apparently the train, which was BADLY ripped apart, was bombed by North Korea and was the last symbol of unification between North and South Korea because the train went to obviously both countries. So I'll add the pictures here. ;) 





Then we got home. All in all a good day. Emily and I are going to Ilsan today! YAY! And tomorrow we're meeting with two of our friends (who are in the program and arrived last night) and we're going to Myeongdong...which is where I will buy a bunch of gifts! haha

Love ya'll! 

Heather

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