National Poetry Writing Month

Well it's April, and that means it's NaPoWriMo! Last year I managed to claw my way to finishing 30 poems, though definitely not one every day. As usual, I had to skip some days and play catch-up later. This year I managed to complete 30 as well, maintaining my streak as well as my non-diligent working habits. I'll be editing most of them over the course of the next few months. For now, here are some that I'm actually willing to put out there. Enjoy!

Day 5
The wind sweeping my hair
carries away day's worries
as the sidewalk cracks give way
to cobblestones and asphalt.
My wheels trample them all
as I sow freedom with pedals.

Day 16
I stare, propped on elbows,
watching the daylight flee the sky
through my cracked-open glossed-over windows.

And as I sit, I wonder why
the sun is loose and free to soar while
I am just trapped and stuck inside.

Working hours like this is simply vile
when walking in sunshine is only daydreamt about
and a window-facing desk is a seat of exile.

Though there are worse fates, that I don't doubt,
my workday's end brings the harshest blows.
It's only lamplight that greets me as I walk out.

Day 17
Rain.
Wet flagstones.
Mists rising off
the subdued red-green
rainbows of Nara's Yoshikien garden.
The storm comes on hard today.
Deer shelter beneath my umbrella.
Later, the rains slacken.
The deer leave.
So do
I.

Day 20
Twin lines gouge into
the fingers of my left hand,
lingered scent of steel.
Supple leather strap
caresses my left shoulder,
hugs on to my hip.
It slides against me
as my right hand rises and
falls in quick rhythm.
The fire crackles.
Others' sounds join in with mine.
Music fills the woods.

Day 27
Draw, loose,
the arrow flew.
I watched the bowstring snap
just as arrow punched through target.
Bull's eye.

Day 29
Snow drifts down like tears
from a soft subdued sorrow
slowly to the ground
not like the heaving sadness
of a mournful springtime rain

Chuseok River Biking

Ah, Chuseok. A time to relax, not work, and most importantly, NOT GO ANYWHERE FAR FROM HOME. Seriously, rumor has it that Chuseok is the worst for traveling. Buses, trains, and planes fill to capacity as every Korean moves around the country to visit ancestral homes. So, naturally, after some camping, I decided to just hang around Daegu. After some mild cabin fever, that turned into biking around Daegu. Now, not just around in the sense that I biked to several different places. I mean I actually tried to bike around the edge of Daegu. Made it a decent chunk of the way, too! Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, I managed to bike a total of 52.71 kilometers. Not too shabby!

Sincheon-Geumho River East

Day 1 - Saturday - 22.36 km

So on the first day I decided to hop on the bike and go as far as I could before either I got too tired or the sun got too set-y. While I bike in the dark more often than I should, I didn't want to get caught at night in unfamiliar territory. Seasoned readers will know this stems from my nightblindness rather than any sort of location-related danger. 

So yes, get on bike, pedal, stop when appropriate. Easy enough!

The Sincheon-gang is a very nice river; slow moving, nice and shallow, and complete with a lovely park all along its west bank. The Sincheon separates Jung-gu in the west from Suseong-gu in the east. I live just east of the Suseong-gyo (the bridge by my thumb in the following picture). My day started off on the river at that bridge, and took me up to the Chimsan-gyo crossing (the bridge above my pinky in the picture), which is where the Sincheon joins the Geumho.

The Sincehon bridges. From north to south, there is:
Chimsan-gyo
Seongbuk-gyo
Docheom-gyo
Kyeongdae-gyo
Sinseong-gyo
Sincheon-gyo
Dongsin-gyo
Suseong-gyo
Daebong-gyo
Huimang-gyo
Jungdong-gyoSangdong-gyo
Yongdo-gyo

Along the Sincheon, you find quite a few exercise parks, sporting fields, and pedestrian crossings. These are particularly interesting, as they are just a series of stones that form a footbridge across the river. They can be quite meditative in a way, as you have to empty your mind of anything but making sure your feet go where they're supposed to. Of course, they can also be terrifying, especially if it's a windy day and the water is rushing below your feet and your bike and backpack are throwing you off balance.

The Sincheon River Park is actually quite nice. There is a bike path and a footpath. When people follow those distinctions (freakin' never!) you can have a nice leisurely ride without worrying about dodging pedestrians.

The river also has a lot of fountains as you pedal or walk along, as well as some dams.

One of the many dams on the river.

An ivy-covered bridge on the Sincheon.

A rainbow in the fountain.

As you reach the end of the Sincheon, you have two options. You can either turn left and follow the course of the Geumho towards west Daegu. or you can cross a little bridge and move upstream along the Geumho around the northern horn of Daegu. I chose the latter option.

The Geumho is a much wider river. I'd actually call it a proper river. When you first make the turn, you are faced with what looks like the demon possessed remains of a long abandoned theme park from hell.

Complete with Korean totem poles!

And whatever the hell this thing is!

When I saw this, I had just thought "gee, this place needs even more of those nightmarish totem pole thingies." Korea delivers!

Giant bugs with swamp eyes!

And speaking of eyes...

So enough of that creep-fest. I continued pedaling away from there as fast as my wheels could take me. Here are some views of the Geumho!

Dat reflection.

This map shows the length of the Geumho bike path. To the left is the industrial areas of Daegu. The right has more residential areas and fields.

The path itself was quite nice for easy riding.

The northern horn. You can see that highway (Rte. 1) that crosses the path twice.

A motorized glider of something near Dongchon Resort.

A really cool suspension bridge near the Angyang Art Center.

Some of the swan boats at Dongchon Resort seen from the bridge.

Around the Angyang Art Center I noticed it was about to start getting dark. After a quick map check, I turned my bike west and pedaled back through Manchon towards Beomeo. On the way back I stopped for one picture. This is a bench at the MBC Plaza Park near my apartment. I passed by it on my way home and just had to take a picture. 

Remind anyone of this moment from "Vault of Bones" (Adventure Time, S05 E12)?

Geumho River West

Day 2 - Sunday- 30.44 km

On Sunday I was barely feeling the burn from the ride the day before (don't worry, it did eventually catch up to me). So I decided to swing by downtown Daegu for some quick shopping before picking up back where the Sincheon splits at the Geumho. This time, I was going to go as far west as I could before either the sun or my energy went away for the day.

On my way along the Sincheon I stopped for a bit on one of the footbridges to have a relaxing moment. This particular bridge had a small platform, perfect for sitting and thinking about stuff.

The view upstream.

My thinkin' island.

The western leg of the Geumho is significantly less scenic than its eastern counterpart. I had planned to try and follow the river all the way around towards Daesil (where Peter lives), but the distance is much further than I anticipated. I made it about halfway there.

The bridge leading to the northwestern suburbs of Daegu.

Up ahead is where the Geumho is joined by a (I believe) nameless river that flows in from the industrial side of town.

The Geumho seen from the split.

Looking back upstream.

Here's the bridge over the nameless feeder stream. If you turn left, there is a small dirt path, which eventually leads to a small dirt trail about 6 inches wide. More on that later.

This is the point (the dark blue circle off to the left) where I realized Daesil was still way too far. I turned around and made for that feeder stream.

So no longer along the Geumho, I found myself following a small stream towards the Bisan Industrial Dyeing Complex. Here's what the trail eventually narrowed to.

Before it turned uphill. That was a very interesting walk. I had to throw my bike up, hold in the brakes, and use it to pull myself up.

The view from the summit of my little climb.

At the top, I found myself along some kind of access walkway that went alongside the highway. I eventually got onto a road, and started heading back east toward central Daegu. I eventually found out that I was in Seo-gu, which is just filled with factories, factories, and more factories. I found a vending machine along the way and bought myself a gatorade. Damn, those electrolytes felt good!

On my way through Seo-gu I happened to pass by a hardware store. If Ranger Glen ever decides to move to Korea, he can find some of his trusted brands!

So that's about all from the biking. I made it back to Beomeo without incident. No flat tires, no busted pedals. Just one case of sore legs the next day. All in all, it was a very pleasant Chuseok weekend!

Stay tuned for more of my severely procrastinated entries!

• Thailand!
• Cambodia and Vietnam!
• Other stuff I keep forgetting about!

Beach Camping in the Land of the Jellyfish

So over the Chuseok holiday, Anthony, Isaac, Rich, and I decided to take a beach getaway. We grabbed a small tent, camping stove, grub, beers, and set up a rental car. Oh, right. We also picked a destination: Daejin Beach, just north of Yeongdeok, Snow Crab capital of Korea! Everything was going swimmingly until I showed up at AVIS to pick up the car. The building was locked up tighter than <insert cliche here>. Not to be dismayed so easily, I walked over to Hertz/Kumho car rentals. Unfortunately, they were all out of cars to rent, what with it being Chuseok and all. So, no car, no beach. 

After some quick consultation, we decided to make the best of things and head down to the Sincehon, and set up camp along the riverbank between the Daebong-gyo and the Huimang-gyo (gyo means bridge in Korean). 

Our camping spot.

We spread out our tarp, opting to keep our tent out of sight until later. There aren't exactly enforced laws about camping in city parks, but we figured it'd be better to err on the safe side. We just sat around, relaxing, and taking in the sights of the people walking by through the river park. It was quite relaxing! Around four or five we set up the stove and our grillmaster, Anthony, got to grilling some samgyeopsal that Issac had marinated in preparation. With some lettuce, garlic, and onions, it made a damn fine meal.

One of the foot crossings of the Sincheon.

Later, we were joined by Matt and his dog Yoda, and eventually by Michael and So Young. We found out that pizza places don't deliver to the riverside, but they would meet us at the closest apartment complex. After pizza and several convenience store runs, Matt, Yoda, Michael, and So Young headed off home. Isaac, Rich, Anthony, and I stayed out for several hours, until the question came up: should we bother staying out that night? Much like some kids who had set up a tent in the backyard only to realize that it's cold and the ground is hard, we decided to just take the 10 minute trip back to our apartments. 

So, we didn't take our planned trip, but we still had some riverside fun. 

During the day, I got word from some Daegu Theater people. They had been planning a trip to the same beach as we were! And they weren't leaving until Friday! And they had some seats left! So, I decided to give Daejin one more try, and the next morning saw me loading into The Slam Van with some other theater nerds on our way to the East Sea.

The Slam Van. Yes, the Facebook page actually exists. Go "Like" it. Oh, hey, I just noticed my reflection in the window. Cool!

 On the way up to Daejin, we decided to stop off at the infamous Yeongdeok Ghost House. It was quite spooky, and that was during the day! The house itself was located up a short isolated hill just off the coastal road.

A knife I found in the front yard of the house.

 Here's the house itself. A nice little fixer-upper with the ruins of a shed just to the right. Charming!

David, expressing a healthy respect for ghosts, opted to wait in the van.

Translation: Haunted. House of Ghosts.

Translation: Ding Dong

The toilet paper was blowing in the breeze, except for the fact that there was no noticeable breeze...

I snapped this picture of what appears to be Korea's largest laziest sandcastle on the way to the basement.

The basement was, thankfully, blocked off by debris. Oh no, such a shame that we couldn't explore it.

Up on the second floor patio you could see David waiting in the car, still being respectful and whatnot.

A view of the shore from the second floor patio.

 Luckily, Tammy's dog Doshi came along with us. Knowing how dogs can totally sense evil, I decided that I wouldn't have to freak out until he started freaking out. Which he did. Just by the basement. Boy started pawing the ground like a madman, er, maddog. Did I mention how upset I was that we couldn't get into the basement?

Our valiant and oh so adorable evil detector.

 Well, with all that ghost-y business behind us, we took to the road again and continued our trip north to Daejin Beach. When we arrived, we noticed that the beach was rather empty. Unlike the more urban Haeundae and Gwangan beaches of Busan and Boryeong Beach of Mudfest fame, Daejin Beach had no sprawling roads of stores and restaurants alongside it. It was just a bathroom/changing room with two shops that looked closed down for the season.

 After a quick survey, we all threw on our suits and headed into the water. David and I got out first and the water was PERFECT. Once you got underwater once, the water felt great, had no waves, and was clear enough to see right down to the bottom. We got about 100 yards out or so and were still at about chest depth. Like I said, perfect.

 At first, anyway. Soon after settling in, I noticed some small stinging pinpricks on my arms and legs. I looked over at David and noticed a similar look of discomfort. Nothing painful, really. Just more like small annoyances. 

"You feeling that?", I asked. 

"Yes", he replied.

"Jellyfish?"

"Yup."

"No, wait", he said quickly. "It's not jellyfish. There's just a problem with our swim trunks or something. After all, if there were jellyfish, we should tell the girls. And then they probably wouldn't want to come in. Let's not spoil the beach for them."

So, like proper gentlemen, we didn't ruin anyone's chance to have fun in the sun and surf. By the time the girls got in, David and I had started to work on our 'Daniel Craig' coming out of the water, Casino Royale style.

I couldn't find a picture fromf the scene in question, so here's a shot of me trying to mimic it. I think it came out pretty good!

So the five of us are in the water, and David and I are just waiting for the girls to notice the same cough bathing suit issues we were having. Nothing. We exchanged confused looks. What were these bathing suit problems? Sexist? Antisemitic? Countless possibilities occurred to us, but our silent inquiry was interrupted by Nikki pointing out some purple welts that were forming on her arms, as well as the sharp stinging sensation that accompanied them. Well, with that, everyone else admitted to feeling the stings. We decided to get the hell out of the water and turn our attentions to camp.

The girls headed into town for a convenience store run while David and I set up camp. One hammock and three tents? No problem for an Eagle Scout and a ... hmm, and a David! After a very short amount of time, we had camp set up perfectly. Well, mostly perfect, but more on that later.

Have hammock, will travel!

David popping by to say hello.

Doshi standing guard over the tents.

David, the wonderful chef he is,

BUY NOW FROM BOUCHE DELIVERY

got dinner cooking. He makes a mean chili, and this one was no exception. Luckily for us, it was still hot from being cooked that morning, even after the 2-ish hour car ride up to Daejin. All it took was a quick reheat over the camping stove and we were in business. By the time the girls got back, we were ready to take a seat and eat. The chili was delicious!

BUY DAVID'S FOOD

The chef at work. Have you placed an order yet? Don't make me put in another hyperlink!

 With dinner mostly out of the way, we set about to watching the sun dip down towards the horizon.

 As darkness settled in, David and I gathered some driftwood for a small campfire. We knew it wouldn't be enough to burn for a long time, but it was enough to give up enough time to roast some marshmallows!

David and Amanda around the fire.

 The night wound on slowly and leisurely. Around 11 or so, we looked up to notice that the bridge by our campsite had been turned on. The thing was covered in moving neon!

The Goraebuldae-gyo

 As the night wore on, I grew slightly restless and decided to go for a walk. Close to our site was an empty lifeguard stand, so naturally, I climbed on up. The stand gave me some great views all around the beach and across to the town.

With everyone exhausted, we settled in for the night; me in my hammock, David in his tent, Nikki and Amanda in hers, and Tammy and Doshi debating between the spare tent or the van. I didn't worry about them much, as I was quickly drifting off to sleep.

Sunrise woke me up the next morning, and David and I popped our heads out of our respective quarters to say a quick good morning. That quick good morning quickly turned into an Uh-oh as David noticed something troubling: There was one fewer tent this morning than there was last night. We did a quick recount, and were confidently able to say that we were one tent short of what we should have had. David ventured over to the van, and fortunately, Tammy and Doshi were safe inside. So the only casualty was the tent. We took a quick walk, and sure enough we found it about 50 yards out being tossed around by the morning surf. With a heavy sigh, David handed me his hoodie and waded out to retrieve it. After emptying the water, we set it back up in the sun to dry as we went about the business of breaking camp. After a quick cleanup, we had things in order, packed in the van, and the tent had mostly dried. We all piled in to the van and set our compass south toward Daegu.

So, my Chuseok trip didn't go exactly according to plan, but I still made it to the beach. Oh, I also took an extensive bike ride, but we'll save that for next time!