A Daily Shot of Jeju

Chuseok Party at Tibet Scenery Guest House

2011-09-20T08:28:00.000+09:00

The weekend before last was Chuseok and my friend Nopy invited me to a fantastic party at the Tibet Scenery Guest House. The guesthouse has only been open for a few months, but is becoming quite popular in the Jeju backpacking circles (of which I know surprisingly very little about). The owners lived in Tibet for some time and brought back the feel of Tibet as well as some memorabilia. There's Tibetan prayer flags all over and Tibetan script "om mani padme hum" There's even a foot pedal Rickshaw.

The headliner band was the Four Poor Guys (loosely translated). They put on a great show for the guests and visitors. After they played a few songs, they invited anyone in the audience to come out and sing. The highlight was the woman in the pictures who sang some traditional Korean songs. She must have been a serious amateur or professional because her renditions were stirring and everyone who knew the words sang along. They even got me to go up and play a couple of tunes on the guitar.

The Tibet Scenery Guesthouse is in Daepyeong, on the southwest side of the island. The phone number is 070.4234.5836 and here's a map.

http://cafe.naver.com/tibetscenery

Jeju Weekly: On a coastal climb, an unexpected accompaniment

2011-08-25T16:06:00.002+09:00

Here's my newest contribution to The Jeju Weekly

On a coastal climb, an unexpected accompaniment
Daniel Kojetin recounts meeting a music-playing monk on the cliffs around Oedolgae

http://www.jejuweekly.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1797

콩국수 Kong Guk Su

2011-06-15T21:57:00.000+09:00

It's officially summertime and it's time to eat some summery foods! One of my favorites is Kong Guk Su. This is a cold noodle dish. The Kong (콩) part of the name means beans. It's a ground bean base with some cucumbers and sesame seeds. Put the ice cubes in and enjoy a cool and refreshing meal for those hot summer days!

Korean Wellbeing Cooking Class

2011-05-31T20:02:00.000+09:00

I've been taking about it for a long time, but I finally got around to taking a Korean cooking class! I ended up taking the class through the continuing education department at Jeju National University. The class is going pretty well, and actually now is almost over. I think there's only two more weeks actually after tonight. The class I'm taking is kind of a class for never-evers, and we're really learning pretty basic dishes. I really love Korean food and am learning how actually pretty simple it is to cook. Sometimes it can be pretty labor intensive, in cutting vegetables into very small strips for Japchae, or Kimbap (California Roll). It can also be relatively easy, such as Pa Jun (Vegetable and Seafood Pancake). All in all it's going well. I'm taking a break for a couple of weeks, but I'll be back next week to learn some Doenjang Jjigae and Sun Du Bu, two of my favorite soups!

My teacher and myself

Pa Jun, seafood and veggie pancake

Kimbap!

Olle Route #7 Oedolgae to Wolpyeong (올래 7 코스 외돌개 -> 월평)

2011-05-26T16:24:00.000+09:00

Olle trails are the system of hiking trails that circle all around Jeju Island. Whenever I talk to people who've hiked Jeju Olle trails, it's inevitable that Route #7 comes up in the conversation. I don't have any official statistics, but it seems to me that #7 is the most popular Olle trail in all of Jeju.

The trail starts at Oedolgae Rock. This sea stack is a must see for all tourists that come to Jeju. The parking lot is always packed with tour busses, and on this day, they were particularly full of students from a visiting high school from Daejeon. The cliffs around Oedolgae are stunning and the water nearby is fantastic for snorkeling in the summertime.

Some of the Olle trails really bring you to the countryside of Jeju. You can walk for hours without even seeing another person. On the other hand, Olle trail number seven is particularly crowded, so I found that one of the surprising pleasantries was the surprisingly large amount of vendors and food available on the way. I stopped for some amazing seafood fried rice along the way. It was great!

The construction has begun on the controversial new naval base that you pass towards the end of the trail. Jeju has some conflicts with promoting its image as an eco-friendly and peace island and the current construction of a massive US naval base. The protests are on-going.

The picture below isn't a sign telling how far away famous cities are. Can you guess what it says?

In the end, Olle Route 7 was a fantastic walk and I met some wonderful people on the way. Most people just do the first half of it, but the die-hard people who are willing to finish it are well rewarded with a less crowded trail, wonderful views and a highly recommended experience.

Seobi and Amy's Wedding Photos

2011-05-16T14:02:00.001+09:00

Two of my best Korean friends, their nicknames are Seobi and Amy, asked me to take their wedding photos for them! They are getting married on the first weekend in June so they they hired a professional photographer and studio to get the shots. Basically, he just set up the poses and a few of us followed them around snapping pics. I was quite nervous because my good camera lens got dropped one too many times this winter. I ordered a new lens, specifically for this photo shoot, but it didn't come in time (and still hasn't come) due to the tsunami in Japan. In the end, I was stuck with the kit lens which did a fine job. I've tried to do a little soft focus effect. What do you think?

Revelation

2011-03-31T22:42:00.000+09:00

We've been bouldering. Darren found a new secret spot.

Coffee and Guitar

2011-03-30T22:38:00.000+09:00

Since I've been back in Jeju this year, the coffee and guitar mornings has been back in full force. Scott and I try to get together once or twice a week for a cup of coffee and some country music. He's got the perfect south facing, second floor Korean home with a flat-top concrete porch. It's tough to describe, but I'll try to get a good picture in one of these days. The porch is the perfect sun-deck, it is free from virtually all of Jeju's notorious wind and gets some strong sun all morning long which provides for shorts-weather as early as February. Scott first picked up the guitar on Jeju and is soon becoming a master. It's really fun to jam together, because there's absolutely no worries about how good or bad it sounds, it's just pure fun. Our current favorites tend to usually be some Townes Van Zandt or Old Crow Medicine Show. One day we'll convince someone to pick up the fiddle and join us in the mornings...

New Apartment

2011-03-23T23:35:00.002+09:00

5th year in Korea, 5th apartment.

I can't believe that I'm starting my fifth year in Korea. It's really amazing how fast time flies, but I suppose it means that I'm having fun. So this is my new place in the Faculty Apartments at Jeju National University. It's quite small, not much bigger than my first apartment...well, maybe a little bigger....I miss that dryer though. You see, there's two amazingly useful appliances that are missing in most Korean houses: a clothes dryer and an oven. I've been thinking about getting an oven, but I just wonder how much I'll actually use it. Maybe I'll finally get out of my tightwad mode and at least splurge on a microwave this year!

Oh and here's a picture for my parents...for the last 2 years they've been asking for a picture of my car... Hopefully I'll sell it soon, but unfortunately it's too cold and convenient right now to get rid of!

Back to School

2011-03-22T23:35:00.000+09:00

I've been back in Jeju almost a month, but I haven't posted a thing yet! Things have really been quite hectic and busy since I've been back and it seems like I've hardly had any time to relax by myself. Since I've been back, I've moved to a new place, had my motorcycle breakdown (fixed now), hung out with friends, and finally, preparing for the new semester.

School has been going great! This week is the start of the second week of classes and I've already given the first round of tests. Hmm...maybe that's a little excessive? Anyways, the Korean school year is opposite of the American school year. High school ends in the winter and university starts in the spring. The first of March is the beginning of the school year for everyone. This is my third year teaching at Jeju National University and every year, the new freshmen seem more and more eager to learn. I really enjoy feeding off of their energy and am excited for this school year.

Sam's Kayaks

2011-02-28T12:50:00.000+09:00

These pictures are actually a couple of years old, and I think it's time to put them on the blog. Sam, an Alaskan and co-owner of La Vie, the popular foreigner bar in Jeju, has taken up an unusual hobby for someone living in on the Korean island, making kayaks. These photos were taken during the Jejustock festival and it was the first time I'd seen the kayaks on the open water. They are fully made of wood, with canvas exterior. I might be wrong, but I believe they are based on a Nordic design for speed. The paddle is particularly interesting design with a much narrower blade as you see in modern kayaks. It was really fun to paddle this one. It was surprisingly fast but also surprisingly unstable, as Phil found out in the bottom picture!!

Suh Myeong Suk, Jeju Olle Founder

2011-02-17T14:48:00.001+09:00

This is a photo of myself and Suh Myeong Suk, the founder of the unbelievably popular Olle trails. She got the idea of creating this series of walking trails around Jeju Island after walking the Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela across Spain. She put in the first Olle trail in 2007, and the Olle trails have now grown to become one of the cornerstones of Jeju eco-tourism. I was able to meet up with her at the opening of the Olle trail on the islet of Gapado and speak with her on behalf of the Jeju Weekly newspaper. She's a truly amazing woman, tiny, and full of life.

School Trip to Halla Mountain

2011-02-14T02:58:00.001+09:00

There's a cool Korean saying that my friend Jung Hee taught me as I was hiking one of the Olle trails. 등잔 밑이 어둡다. "It's dark under the lamp." What it means is that people tend to look far ahead and miss what's right in front of them. It especially applies to where you live, your hometown and your surroundings.

I've met an unbelievable number of locals in Jeju who have never been to the top of Halla Mountain, now a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and the tallest mountain in South Korea. If they have been to Hallasan, the only time was when they were in middle or high school on a field trip. When these school groups come, they don't come as a class, but the entire school floods the mountain. Thousands of students pack the buses and pack the trails all at once. I met this group as I was coming down...It was so crowded that it was impossible to pass through. It had a similar feeling to the running of the bulls. I love the fact that the school is getting out to enjoy the unique nature of Jeju, but we'll leave the environmental impacts for another post....

Sunset from Samiak Oreum (삼의악 오름)

2011-02-06T07:23:00.000+09:00

I don't know what the deal with the funky lines on the picture is...maybe I compressed it too much? I'll try and fix it one of these days.

One of the beauties about the 368 oreums (secondary volcanic hills) on Jeju is that there's always one close by. Usually, I've found that the closest ones to your home become your favorites. My favorite is the one that's just behind Jeju National University, where I work. It goes by a couple of names, Sae Mi Oreum, or Samiak Oreum, but either way, it's the same place. It seems like I've been going there at least once a week since I moved to the Ara-Dong neighborhood. About a year ago, the trail was renovated, a staircase was added all the way up the steep side :( and the trail was improved around the frontside and around the stream where were used to play some disc golf. Wintertime can be a bit chilly for a sunset hike, but it can be a gorgeous view on a clear day, where you can see all of Jeju City, out to Hamdeok Beach and as far as Chujado on the most perfect of days.

Hiking Hallasan

2011-02-03T13:19:00.001+09:00

Hikers almost at the top of Hallasan's Seongpanak Trail

Playing Soccer by the Sea

2011-01-28T10:57:00.000+09:00

Fisherman in Namwon

2011-01-24T12:39:00.000+09:00

Fall Scene

2011-01-23T12:23:00.003+09:00

Grazing near Dang Oreum (당오름)

2011-01-22T14:39:00.001+09:00

Fall Colors

2011-01-18T11:25:00.002+09:00

Hallasan in the Fall

2011-01-16T09:12:00.000+09:00

One day in late October, I hiked up Halla Mountain. I've been up Hallasan before in the fall, but never up the Gwaneumsa trail to the top. The fall colors were absolutely incredible and the best I've ever seen on Jeju. With an elevation of 1950m (~6000ft) the fall colors move up the mountain in stages. It seemed from the start, that the colors were past their prime, they had mostly fallen to the ground. However, as I got to the mid-mountain shelter, the leaves showed their brilliance. Mixed in with the evergreens on the upper slopes, was an extravagant tapestry.

Winter away from Jeju

2011-01-07T14:24:00.000+09:00

It's wintertime! Koreans love to tell you that they have 사철 (sa-cheol), or four seasons. Although Jeju is the furthest south point in Korea, and also an island, it is no exception to the four seasons. Wintertime in Jeju can be cold. Although the daytime temperature in the cities rarely dips below zero due to the maritime climate, the wind often blows which makes it feel much colder than it is. Also, the houses and buildings aren't well insulated as well as higher energy prices than we North Americans are used to, makes for a bitter winter... even indoors. People often wear their parkas and down jackets indoors at work and at school.

The winters can be cold in Jeju, but they are also beautiful. It usually snows a few times in the city, and snows often at the summit of Hallasan. The hiking is best in the winter, especially on a bluebird day. The humidity of the ocean leaves a beautiful rime coating (frost) on the trees. You can get some spikes to strap onto your boots or sneakers and hike to the top in your normal winter clothing.

I've left Jeju for winter vacation. I went home to see my family in Indiana for Christmas, and I'm now working at Powder Mountain Ski Area, Utah on the ski patrol. I'll be here until the end of February and then head back to Jeju.

In the meantime, I've been pretty slow on updating the blog this year, so this winter I'll go through the archives and put up some random pictures and stories about life in Jeju.

O'Sullok Green Tea Fields

2010-11-26T10:30:00.000+09:00

I've been dreaming of greener days lately

Green Pastures

2010-11-10T10:45:00.002+09:00

제지기 오름 Jejigi Oreum

2010-11-04T18:10:00.000+09:00

The view from the top of Jejigi Oreum on Olle Trail Number 6